"Dan, two weeks are already over yet you haven't found a thing about it, or do you think I would just let it slide," the big boss thundered in the silent room. There was a pin-drop silence as everyone watched him in the shadows. Each one of them already knew the end for him had arrived. It was either he would be shot dead or thrown in a pool full of piranhas just outside their warehouse. "I have already accomplished the mission, sir. I investigated the area,, and I just found out that there is only one person who always stays around the hospital. I realized that it was a madman, and he was the same guy who saw us that day," Dan spoke in all seriousness to the boss as he passed the footage of the guy to Ben, the big boss's assistant, who in turn passed it to the boss who sat in the shadows. Even though Dan had carried out his investigation and found the little information that he had gotten, deep down he doubted because as he could remember that person was a lady, but there was no
Chloe sat at the table, she had a lot running through her mind, and she was not sure how she was supposed to react to this new revelation. Chloe could take it in, but she was not sure how Krystie would react if she were to hear any of this. Secrets lingered in the air like ghosts, haunting her, but what confused her more was how she was supposed to reveal all these secrets to Krystie. The most suffocating of all was that she could not keep the secret forever to herself. Even if she were to hide it from her, sooner or later Krystie would find out the truth, and thinking of it, it would be far worse than she could think of. It was only last night that Krystie had informed her that she and Lucian had decided to take their relationship to the next level, and make their marriage more real, not just a contract as it was before. Chloe and Krystie, bound together since conception in their mother's womb, had an unspoken rule between them: no secrets. Chloe, the younger of the two sisters
"Sir, I think there is a problem," Ben, the Big boss's assistant walked into the room without a knock, the smoke in the room made him choke on his breath, he had just received an important message from one of his groundsmen, and he could not just act on his own without the boss's permission. The matter at hand was very crucial. "What is it? The big boss asked uninterestedly. Normally it was always Ben who was dealing with issues at hand, and he would only forward crucial matters to him. "Sir, I just received news that your goddaughter is now married," Ben said in one go. "Yeah, I know." " Wait, what?" The big boss asked as he stood up in a go. "Yes sir, it's the truth, and it's already six months since they got married, but they have been keeping it a secret since then, we have just found it now," Ben spoke as he took his distance from the boss because only he knew better than anyone what the big boss could do if he were to waste a single moment. "What are you talking ab
"Mark, do you think everything is okay with the hospital, I find some things to be suspicious?" Krystie asked. She was not sure, she only wanted to find out whether Mark, too, had taken notice of such a thing. In the past week, ever since Krystie and Chloe had visited their godfather, there had been quite a lot going on in the hospital, including a thorough check on the patients and the staff in general. On inquiry, they would be informed that that was the order from above. For security purposes. It just didn't make any sense to have a hospital thoroughly checked, more so the patients, unless there was something planned behind the scenes or they were using the check as a blindfold to assure the public that everything was alright when it was not. "Yeah, you are right," Mark spoke as he scratched his head as he recollected the past week's events. That has always been his habit ever since they were young, anytime he would try to recollect something, he would always scratch his head
"Who are you, and what do you mean by my wife has been captured?" Lucian roared angrily as he stood up in a go. "About who I am, I don't think that is important at the moment. But you should action immediately before they can go far. If anything happened to Krystie, trust me Lucian, I would never forgive you," an angry voice thundered at the other end of the call before it was immediately hung up. "Ronnie, prepare the car immediately, and get some of our men," Lucian roared over the phone, as he immediately checked a notification on his phone. "Regal Avenue. In ten minutes." The notification that had popped on Lucian's phone read. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The car tyres screeched to a halt in the middle of a deserted road just off the main city. "Who are you, and what exactly do you want?" the driver asked; he had nearly hit the man who had jumped in the middle of the road from nowhere. "Who I am is not very important right now. I want the girl!" The shabbily dressed middle-aged man
"Krystie, do you by any chance have any idea who is the person who rescued you? I have been trying to find him, but I can't place exactly who the person is?" Lucian asked when he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. Even though Krystie was unconscious by then, Lucian could not help but ask, it was already a week ever since the incident yet there was not a single person who had gone forward to claim they did it, after all in his world no one does a thing for free, they would either demand for one or two things at the end. "No, no one that I know as of the moment," Krystie replied hurriedly and walked away. She was not so good at lying, and she was afraid she would be found out if she were to stay a single second. Krystie could remember very well the face of the guy who had rescued her from the kidnappers. She had just regained her consciousness as soon as the van had halted in the middle of the road, and she had thought they were involved in an accident, but that was until s
"Your husband Lucian was the defendant lawyer of your father's killer seven years ago, and even your sister Chloe is aware of it." The notification read. Krystie drove all the way home, her heart racing, sweat dripping down her face. Krystie had only one hope as she drove to her house, she was hoping against hope that all this was not the truth. She could already feel her heart shattering into a million pieces imagining how betrayed she would feel as a result. Krystie's heart pounded as she sifted through the old newspaper clippings she had found on her house's notice board. With trembling hands, she unfolded an article dated seven years ago, the headline blaring the name of the man who had shattered her world: "Young Local Law Student Secures Acquittal for Murderer." Her eyes widened in disbelief as she read the name beneath the headline, Lucian Wilson, her husband. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she stumbled backwards, collapsing onto a nearby chair. How could th
"Krystie... Krystie, please don't leave me, I am very sorry," Lucian only called to the disappearing silhouette, but that was until he heard the shutting of the door did it finally occurred to him that she had left, yes, his wife had left him all alone, just because of what happened in the past many years. Frustrated, Lucian swiped the bowls of food across the room, sending the meals crashing all over the room, with soup covering the whole floor. He was very angry, angry with himself, angry with everything that happened seven years ago, and finally, he stumbled and sat on the floor as tears rolled down his eyes, unrestrained ~~~~~~~~~~~ "Lucian, it has already been a month yet you have never stepped foot in the company. Don't you think that it is high time that you move on? She's gone and will never come back again," Ronnie tried to convince a drunk Lucian he had been drinking for weeks now. Ever since Krystie left him that day, he had never been to his house, always sleeping i
Mark stood in front of Chloe’s apartment door, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. He hesitated for a second before knocking. Chloe opened the door, surprised to see him, but the look on his face made her step aside without question. "Mark?" He stepped inside, but he couldn’t look at her. His voice broke almost immediately. "I accompanied Krystie to see my father." Chloe’s eyes widened slightly, but she waited. Mark exhaled a shaky breath and finally looked at her, eyes red. "He admitted everything, Chloe. He killed them. Your parents just because he was bitter and envious." His voice cracked. "And I’m his son. I carry his blood, he stammered. I... I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me. If you never forgave me. I wouldn't forgive me either." Before another word could leave his lips, Chloe pulled him into a hug. He was stiff at first, then broke down, crying into her shoulder. "I’m so sorry…" he whispered, his voice raw.Chloe gently patted his back, her voice soft. "You
The heavy steel doors of the Blackthorn Federal prison clanked open as Krystie and Mark stepped inside. The long corridor echoed with the distant occasional shout from inmates. Guards led them in silence toward the visitation room. Neither Krystie nor Mark spoke. They all had lots of unanswered questions they desired answers to. It had been a month since the judgement, but Krystie had one more thing she desired to know. They were shown to a cold metal table. A few seconds later, Mr. Xavier was escorted in, clad in his prison uniform, hands cuffed, his once well-groomed face now unkempt beard and hollow eyes. But his smirk remained. "Well, well," he drawled, taking his seat and leaning back as far as the restraints would allow as if he were still the one in control. "See who finally decided to visit me if not my dear son and goddaughter. I was wondering how long it would take for the prodigies to come visit me. Have you come to gloat?" Krystie didn’t waste time. She straightened a
The courtroom buzzed as Xavier West was escorted inside, clad in an orange prison uniform that couldn’t quite mask the pride still etched in his posture. His expression remained composed, almost arrogant. His attorney, Mr. Clarke, adjusted his tie and leaned over. "Relax. We’ve got the best money we can buy. The judges are in our pocket. There’s no hard evidence they can use. We’ll have this thrown out in a week." Xavier didn’t respond, only stared at the room with cool detachment. Journalists filled the benches, their cameras flashing and pens ready. The public gallery overflowed with curious onlookers, family members of victims, and a few hospital staff. Xavier’s smirk returned when he saw the judges entering, three men he knew well, the judges from his case seven years ago. The lead judge struck the gavel, and announced, "Court is now in session. Case number 2328: The People vs. Xavier West." The prosecution began with an impassioned speech, laying out the charges including hu
At the boardroom on the top floor of Regal Hospital, sunlight filtered through the tall windows, where Mr. Xavier West sat at the head of the polished table, flanked by board members and stakeholders. All were dressed in fine suits, sipping imported coffee as they discussed the hospital’s future, oblivious to the storm that was about to hit.Xavier wore his usual calm mask, a faint smile plastered on his face as he nodded at a proposal from the finance director. "If we accelerate the expansion plans for our offshore branches, we can double our quarterly revenue," he said smoothly, exuding confidence and control.The silence shattered when the heavy double doors burst open without warning. Ben, Mr Xavier's personal assistant, stood there panting, sweat trickling on his forehead, his tie crooked as if he'd run all the way."Ben," Xavier barked, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell do you think you’re doing? You don’t barge in here when I’m in a meeting, especially not with the board!"Be
Krystie pulled her hood lower and stepped into the dimly lit back hallway of the Regal Hospital’s records wing. The place had been shut down for maintenance, but she knew better. Mark waited inside, pacing around nervously until he saw, Chloe behind her. "Took you long enough." "I had a meet-up with someone earlier, so I couldn't make it on time. I also had to make sure no one was tailing me," Krystie murmured. "Where’s Nancy?" "Already in the archives, decrypting the lock. She said she found something about shipments, offshore accounts and patient transfer names.” Krystie’s eyes narrowed. "Good. Let’s go." They moved quickly through the corridor, slipping past closed doors and inactive security cameras, courtesy of Nancy. In the sub-basement level, the archive room stood with its heavy, metal door already cracked open. Inside, Nancy hunched over a desk, documents and flash drives spread out on the table before her and a triumphant smile at the corners of her lips "Told you
Krystie stepped into Mr. Xavier’s study, her outer appearance relaxed but her mind was on high alert. He was sitting behind his large mahogany desk with an unreadable expression as he sipped his whiskey. "You’ve been out of reach for quite some time, busy?" he inquired, his tone casual, but his sharp gaze assessing her. Krystie offered a small, tired smile. "Just trying to move forward, and finding something else to do. O hospital wants to hire someone like me after the scandal." Mr. Xavier gestured toward the chair opposite him. " I'm so sorry about that. Take a seat." She did, crossing her legs as she waited for him to speak. "I need your help," he finally said, setting his glass down, his gaze softening a little. "Help?" Krystie tilted her head slightly. "With what?" "There’s a friend of mine who’s in some trouble." He paused, gauging her reaction. "I was hoping you could ask your husband, Lucian, to help him." Krystie stiffened slightly, lowering her gaze as if strug
Mr King stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his private office, his sharp gaze fixed on the city skyline. His brother still lay in the hospital bed, barely alive. The doctors had told him the chances of him waking up were only five per cent, or he might end up in a vegetable state because of the damage to the brain. The thought that the man who had done all this to his brother was walking around freely irked him to the core, and tonight he was going to make him pay, even if it meant shedding his own blood. Leo entered the room snapping him from his thoughts. "The men are ready, boss. We have got eyes on the big boss’s main warehouse near the port. Word is, a shipment is coming in tonight with illegal firearms." Mr. King turned with a playful smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Good. Tell them to move immediately. No mistakes." Leo nodded and stepped away hurriedly to relay the command. Mr King reached for the drawer where the folder Joel had sent him several weeks ago la
Mr. King sat in his luxurious office, his mind elsewhere. His fingers tapped impatiently against the polished surface of his desk while his other hand gripped his phone tightly. It was already three days. Three damn days without a single word from his brother. His younger brother had never gone this long without answering his calls or at least checking in. He had a bad premonition about it! Mr King exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. His sources inside the big boss’s operations had gone quiet too, which only deepened his unease. Something was wrong. His phone buzzed, jolting him from his thoughts. It was an unknown number. Frowning, he hesitated before answering. "Who is this?" His voice was sharp and demanding. Silence. Then a distorted voice, as if through a voice changer. "Your brother is in critical condition at St. Lucy's Hospital." A cold chill ran through Mr King's spine. His grip tightened on the phone. "What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?" "Wh
The meeting room inside the warehouse was dimly lit with only a single overhead light. Across the wooden table, the men seated around with tension on their faces. The big boss sat at the head of the table, his gloved fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden table. His dark mask hid his expression, but the sharp glint in his eyes was enough to send chills through the men seated before him. His patience had run out. Ben stood beside him silently, watching as the others shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Every man in the room knew that meetings like these never ended well. Someone wasn’t going to walk out of this room alive. The big boss finally spoke, his voice calm. "We have a big problem!" He leaned back in his chair. "You see, everything has been going to hell lately. Our plan was interfered with, the dock was wiped clean, our men tortured, and Dr Lawrence returned to us in a state that not even the devil himself would wish upon his worst enemy. He let the words s