Dorian's POV The traffic on the road was light and I was grateful for it. The last thing I wanted after a stressful day was to get stuck in traffic. It also helped that I wasn't the one having to deal with the road directly as my driver was the one doing the driving.I gauged our speed by how fast we moved past the landmarks in the city as I was in the backseat of my white Rolls-Royce.All things considered, it was a smooth ride and I was just about to doze off when my phone rang. I would have ignored it and be none the wiser but it was from my private line which very few people had access to so I knew it had to be important.A partition separated the driver from me so I didn't have to worry about privacy or the lack of it for that matter.“It's Jeff, something interesting just happened,” A gruff voice said on the other end of the line.“Alright. Bring me up to speed,” I said, surprised to hear his voice as I hadn't been expecting any update from him anytime soon. I had put him on
Anna’s POV I opened my eyes, and closed it shut when it came in contact with the light. My head felt heavy and I felt stiff all over. I opened my eyes again this time, it had already adjusted to the light, and then it hit me... I was in a hospital. I was lying in the hospital bed. I tried raising my hands but I noticed an IV hooked up to my arms. It was beeping and it was loud.I tried sitting up but I felt a sharp pain, which made me give up quickly and fell back down on the bed. I exhaled and inhaled trying to remember how I ended up in a hospital. My memory betrayed me as I felt blank as I tried to come up with anything. The text... Dorian texted me... I had dressed up and prepared for the date. I remembered getting into a car. But that was all... Blank. I couldn't remember what happened after that.“Hello?” I called in a whisper.I waited, staring at the door, waiting for someone...anyone to come and tell me what had brought me to the hospital.Finally, a nurse walked in, carry
Anna's POV I placed my hands on the steering wheel as I glanced nervously around me. I was jumpy and suspicious of the people around me whether they were pedestrians or car owners.The journey to my house and out of this hospital lay ahead of me, but my mind was still tangled up with everything that had happened. It all felt like a bad dream. But it was real, every part of it. I was kidnapped. And someone had set me up by using Dorian’s name.I was confused as I don't even know what to even think anymore or what to feel. I was scared witless and confused on turns. Nevertheless I was glad that I was safe but my feelings were mixed up together.Dorian wanted to meet me and I was desperate for answers. Maybe he had some. Maybe he had an idea on whosoever was trying to use his name to kidnap me.When I finally got home, I felt so weak. I had to drag my leg inside my house and I shut the door behind me and just stood there for a minute, looking around at my small, quiet apartment. There
Dorian's POVI stared at Anna's face as she processed the news I conveyed to her. She was trying to process everything and her face told the various stages of emotion she went through. Surprise, pain and was that anger I saw. I wasn't exactly sure.The way she reacted to what I told her was intriguing as was the expression on her face. I took mental notes of everything. It was important I did as I needed to understand her, because I wanted to help her.The moment she heard the words from my mouth about finding her ex-husband, the shock on her face was something else. Her eyes widened in shock and her breathing increased. It was as if I had opened an old wound. She looked very fragile at the moment and an overwhelming urge to hug her came on me but I didn't act on it.I leaned back on my chair, trying to give her space to process whatever was going through her head, I assumed they were not pleasant ones and it was very clear that it stirred something up inside of her.Something that h
Dorian... He doesn't want to tell me... I paused, I didn't ask him again about how he managed to find Marcus. He was sure about his information and he was calm like he knew exactly what he was doing. It isn't a little thing he did just to find Marcus... Not everyone would be able to track Marcus down like Dorian did even though Marcus had gone great lengths to disappear.Marcus had taken everything from me, every dime he could get his hands on, and then vanished without a single trace. Left me broken and with no way of finding him, as if I didn't mattered at all.So, to hear Dorian mention finding him so easily, as if it had been nothing at all... well, it surprised me. I tried not to show it as I kept a straight face, but deep down, I felt like he could probably tell. The way he looked at me, it was as if he knew I was wondering in my mind on how he manage to get the information of the whereabout of Marcus so quickly.The more I kept thinking about it, the more I get to understand t
Anna's POVI never thought that I would shed tear, because I thought I was over Marcus. I thought I had moved on from all the pain he caused me. But here I was, sitting in this place, staring into my glass of red wine, sobbing with tears flowing from my eyes. It didn’t make sense. I tried to stop myself, tried to hold back the tears, but somehow, they kept flowing. How could he just take my money and run away? He is heartless. How could he start a new life while I was left to pick up the pieces? He had the gut to do this to me. All those years I spent supporting him, working hard so he could chase his business ideas. And now, he was doing well without me. It felt unfair. I inhale and exhale trying to calm down but the tears refuse to stop coming out.I didn’t even realize I had let it all pour out.... sobbing... My body shaking. I was so lost in my thoughts and feelings that I completely forgot I wasn’t alone. I didn’t notice when Dorian came to sit beside me. He was quiet, just the
Dorian's POVAnna looked at me with her eyes full of regret... Doubts, and she had this whole idea that she is the reason for Marcus unfortunate behavior... Blaming herself. She kept saying it was her fault that she was holding him back from achieve his dream and she felt like she was nothing but a burden to his life.Her voice was low, as if she was talking to herself more than to me. And before I knew it, I heard myself telling her to stop, to stop tearing herself apart, to stop blaming herself for everything that had gone wrong.The words came out so quickly I almost didn’t recognize them as my own. I wasn’t sure why I’d even said it, but it felt like someone had to pull her out of this pit she was digging for herself. But still… me? Why would I, of all people, be the one to step in like this?It wasn’t like me at all. I was Dorian... the businessman, the one who knew where every line was and never crossed it. I didn’t get mixed up in emotions, didn’t concern myself with people’s p
Anna's POVIt's the weekend already, how time flies... Spending the weekend alone without Marcus... Whatever. I've made up my mind to shut myself indoor, to start cleaning out the house... more than just dust and cobwebs. This wasn’t about the surface dirt. No, this was about the dirt that had stained my life, left by none other than Marcus. There were pieces of him, small and large, scattered throughout my home, I hadn’t realized were still there. But now, I could see them, and I wanted them gone. All of them.I began in the living room, moving from corner to corner, shelf to shelf. In the process of cleaning I found a movie ticket stub. It was from one of our early dates. I held it, staring down at the tiny piece of paper, just staring at it made my heart ache. He had bought that ticket for me. I could remember him laughing as we shared popcorn, him reaching over to hold my hand when I jumped at the scary parts.But then I reminded myself why I was doing this. Marcus. The man who ha
“What do you think about all this, Aldred?”As Rey’s question echoed in the air, Aldred gave a knowing smile—as if he already expected the question.“It’s probably a ruse. The actual Warehouse must be hidden underground.” Rey made a slight grimace underneath his mask.‘Just as I suspected…’Even with this discovery, it didn’t change what they had to do. ‘We still have to invade. The entrance to the underground passage must be here somewhere.’Rey almost felt like he was invading the territory of a mafia group or some sort of cartel. He hadn’t done it before, but it seemed like this was how it would feel.“This establishment is run by Evals Redart, the biggest guy in business in the South.” Aldred went on, his tone still retaining the same hint of amusement from earlier.“I don’t imagine that we’d run into him here, but if we do, then the KariBlanc Group would like to stay out of it.”Rey let out a sigh and shrugged lightly.“I hadn’t planned for both of you to come inside with me a
‘Ah… I see. So that’s how it is…’Rey smiled as he stared at his opponent.Even though his eyes were on the BigFoot-like creature, his senses also observed the ceiling where it fell from.‘There are more of them lurking above.’ Rey couldn’t see them even if he tried. There was a reason he hadn’t detected any until this one landed to confront him.‘A Camouflage Skill, maybe? Interesting…’ These creatures were masters of blending into their environment, making them nearly impossible to detect unless someone paid close attention.‘Even now, I can only detect their movements due to the sound they make and slight distortions they cause in space.’He still couldn’t see them properly.‘I already have [Stealth], which basically allows me to be invisible. But I guess this isn’t too bad either.’ When Rey raised his head and studied the Skill, he figured that the camouflage ability would be more than enough for it to be registered by [Doppel].He sighed softly and turned his attention back to
The deal was sealed after that.Aldred Winsley used an Enchanted Item to calculate the amount of Monster Cores in each sack, and by multiplying them with the agreed price, they arrived at the selling price.It turned out to be a whopping 4,650 Platinum Coins!‘I still can’t believe this…’Rey was trying his best to remain composed after hearing such an insane number, but his heart raced uncontrollably.Adding that to his balance of 1,251 Platinum Coins, he now possessed 5,901 Platinum Coins in total.‘I never thought I’d get this much at once… let alone now!’ Rey felt like he was pulling off a scam, but he didn’t feel guilty. Why would he? This was the Black Market, after all.‘Once the Monster Cores start flooding in, these guys will be in trouble. I should probably avoid this place for a while…’Rey felt a sense of satisfaction knowing he had enough money for the moment. Now, it was time to focus on training; distractions like this were unnecessary.“As always, it’s a pleasure d
“Haha! Is it all done?” A hefty man, his belly protruding, emerged from the 'staff-only' room.He had blood stains on his hand, and each finger had rings on them. His fat-ridden body moved slowly as he cleaned his bloodied hands with a rag and flung it to the side once he was done.“Oh, Leader? Did you kill that woman already?” One of the men who had secured both Alicia and Billy said with a somewhat disappointed face.“What do you think?” The fat man replied, a twisted grin on his faceThough he had cleaned his hands, stains of red still appeared in some areas.“I-I see… I shouldn’t have asked in the first place."In all honesty, this man—as well as the rest of his six comrades—wanted to have his way with her.He had been looking forward to enjoying the waitress for some time now.‘When we killed her Boss and took over this shop, I expected my time to come soon…’He felt frustrated that his Leader had done away with her already.“She intentionally tripped, that woman. I was watching
“This isn’t how it’s supposed to go…”Adonis muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the night sky. While he couldn’t recall every single detail from the past, this particular incident was engraved in his memory.‘The kidnapping of Billy and Alicia… it’s supposed to happen way further in the future!’Sure, a lot of things had been altered now, but he hadn’t expected such a drastic change to the original timeline.‘They’ll nearly be sold at the slave auction a few days after being captured, but thankfully the investigation was done before the auction was completed.’As a result, the Royal Knights swooped in and apprehended a lot of criminals in the Black Market and Slavery World.Unfortunately, this huge victory came with a great loss.‘Alicia’s mental state became unstable and she went insane. Billy was fine, but he was so concerned with Alicia’s health that he didn’t focus on training any longer…’Eventually, Alicia’s mental health deteriorated to the point where she eventually commi
“Sir! It’s such a pleasant surprise to see you!” Rey was instantly greeted by a very excited Aldred Winsley.The man was grinning sheepishly at him. He seemed almost starstruck, like a fan meeting their favorite celebrity for the first time.‘He’s literally gushing…’ was Rey’s impression as he nodded slightly, entering the room.‘I was just asking your subordinate here when we might see you next.’Rey glanced at Noah and noticed him giving an uncomfortable smile.‘Were they pressuring him to convince me to come? Is that why he took so long?’It was just a guess, so Rey dismissed it.“In any case, it really is good to have you here. We have a lot to discuss.”Taking a seat on the sofa, Rey observed as Noah quickly positioned himself behind him.‘Good. He knows how to keep appearances without me needing to tell him…’ Rey felt relieved.Noah seemed to be able to handle himself in business now, but sometimes he was still an indecisive klutz.Like now, when he allowed his time to be delay
The KariBlanc Group’s Central headquarters was a three-story building.Its Ground Floor was used for commerce. Its First Floor was used for brokerage and special transactions—as well as the storage of regular Items.As for the Second Floor, it was used for three major purposes.First, it housed the cream of the crop in terms of products. Second, it was where those products received their final touches, ensuring excellence.And as for the final reason, it lay behind the door that Aldred was about to open.The manufacturing stations were situated in the bulkier half of the building, which served as an extension to the back.Since the building had a lot of space—especially at the rear, it wasn’t surprising that manufacturing operations occurred there.That place was also off-limits to those without authorization, but compared to those areas, it was the real deal.The Holy of Holies.‘I haven’t taken permission from father to do this, but…’He already knew what his father would say in thi
Rey’s heart was racing as he stared at the coordinates.His fists were tightly clenched, and he felt his eyes growing bloodshot.‘Why would Alicia be in the Black Market?’ Instantly, he knew she couldn’t have been there willingly. She was clearly in some kind of trouble.‘Is it because of Billy? I’m sure it’s him!’Remembering the face of his former best friend was enough to make him grit his teeth.He was extremely annoyed.Despite his annoyance, Rey felt a wave of relief wash over him. ‘At least I found her. Ditching the rest and coming here on my own really was the right move.’Rey managed to slip away from the watchful eyes of the Investigation Squad and come here on his own after they split up to look for clues.Thanks to that, he managed to slip into the Black Market space.‘I simply guessed that I could use their network or information channels to find Alicia.’Rey had figured they would use Tracking Magic on their Items, but he didn’t expect it to be this detailed.He also d
Two students stood in their respective chairs and desks within the expansive Library.One would expect this haven of silence to remain quiet and peaceful, especially since only two people occupied it.However… “N-no! You misunderstood—!”“Since when did you two start… ahh, never mind. You’re both in Beta Class, so I should have known.”“Hey, relax…”“I thought you were a loner and all, but I didn’t know you had such friends. Noah… Trisha.”“No, Alicia, I—!”“So you were such a ladies' man and I had no idea. What a—”“ALICIA!”Rey’s voice was so loud in Alicia’s ears that it startled her, making her jump in surprise.The book Alicia held flew out of her hands, landing right beside Rey’s feet with a soft thud.Rey was right in front of her now, causing her heart to race wildly.She had never heard him shout so loudly before, and his current expression—his creased brow and imposing stance—revealed a side of him she had never seen before.“Alicia…” Rey’s voice grew softer.How he had man