The deafening silence was soul-consuming. Jasper and Victoria were locked in a staring contest. The air felt unbreathable, thick with unspoken emotions. Jasper leaned back into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't know how to broach the topic. He felt out of depth. Before he could gather his thoughts, his phone buzzed. The sound pierced through the tense atmosphere like a blade through butter. He frowned, glancing at the screen.Harriet.Jasper straightened, the shift in his demeanor immediate. “Give me a moment.” He muttered, standing as he answered the call.Victoria sighed dramatically but said nothing. The night wasn't going as she had planned. She picked up her wine glass, swirling the last of her wine in her glass.“Jasper” Harriet’s voice was urgent, but there was a flicker of excitement beneath it. "Sorry for the intrusion. I know it's late. However, I had to call. I got wind of something before it becomes public information tomorrow."Jasper’s grip on the p
Weeks after, the bombshell dropped. Jasper sat in his office, fingers pressed against his temples, staring blankly at the email that shattered the brittle wall that he had been trying to reinforce. The message from Pioneer Holdings was polite, professional—and complete nonsense. They cited “a strategic shift in long-term objectives,” a fancy way of saying absolutely nothing. But Jasper wasn’t stupid. He knew the real reason. The sudden departure of the two top clients of his firm had made his firm look unstable. Someone had orchestrated it.He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to keep his composure. He had built this company from the ground up. He had spent years turning it into one of the most formidable firms in the industry. And now, because of someone's interference, all of that had been put into question.A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.“Come in.” He said, his voice sharp.Harriet entered, her expression carefully measured, though he could see the frustration beh
Stepping into the bathroom, Victoria quickly closed the door behind her. Her heart was pounding in her chest, threatening to explode in her chest. She stared down at her naked form and gasped at the reactions that her body was exhibiting because of Jasper's proximity. Her nipples were hard and taut, mild goosebumps broke out on her arms,and she could feel the wet sleekness between her legs. She liked how she felt. She felt good. However, a thought flashed through her mind, threatening to shatter her euphoria. She closed her eyes in a bid to expel the intruding thought from her mind. However, it wasn't going away. She was the cause of Jasper's pain. She had kneecapped him at a vulnerable stage of his firm's global domination. It wasn't rocket science to put two and two together to come to the theory that the departure of his top duo had pushed him out of the finale race. Truthfully, she hadn't poached the duo in order to cripple his chances of getting the Pioneer Holdings deal. She
“Jasper?” Victoria's voice broke through his veil of thoughts. Her voice was laced with concern, her eyes widened slightly in shock. Jasper's sudden antics were scary to her. He was incoherent and erratic.Jasper turned to her, a feral look on his face. He closed his eyes again, images of Luna flooding the dark crevices of his mind. With a huff, he stood up from the bed and walked towards the balcony. Leaning against the railing, he tried to calm his raging thoughts. He felt utter disgust at himself for forgetting, for putting her through a lot, for falling so weakly for Victoria's and Sophia's scheme.LunaHis wifeThe woman he had forgotten.Victoria watched Jasper's tense shoulder as he leaned against the railing, obviously trying to centre his thoughts. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was close to losing everything she had laboured for, close to losing Jasper. She exhaled slowly, rubbing her temple.Without warning, Jasper turned and walked back into the room, his eyes still o
PresentWeeks after GTech was awarded the Pioneer Holdings’ contract, Sebastian had been completely swamped with work. His schedule was packed with board meetings, performance review sessions, calls at ungodly hours. Sebastian was in the grinder, non-stop. The app had to be perfect, an app that would redefine the industry standards. He owed it to his team, his investors, and most importantly, to himself. Success was the only option.But in the midst of it all, Luna lingered in his mind. He remembered the conversation they had when he told him that he had been awarded the Pioneer Holdings Contract. Two weeks ago (A day after Pioneer Holdings awarded the contract to GTech)Sebastian was still riding the wave of victory after the top management of Pioneer Holdings had officially awarded him the contract to build a sophisticated and state-of-the-art banking application. After the announcement, he had treated his team to a sumptuous dinner which escalated into binge drinking at a club. Sa
Thomas, the effective and detail-oriented hound, was in his elements. As an ex-officer in the Military Investigations Unit, he was well trained in the art of espionage and systematic infiltration. Most of his heroic achievements had been redacted due to the sensitive nature of those missions. He had been actively involved in infiltration, strategic placements and eventual disruptions of major organizations and political states. Therefore, infiltrating and getting the dirt on Jasper Mason was a piece of cake. “What dirt did you manage to uncover?” Sebastian inquired.Thomas sighed deeply as he tried to compartmentalize his thoughts. “Well, Jason Mason is your typical rich, arrogant prick who claims to be the best thing since the invention of slice bread. Mostly, his early life was marred by the normal bullshit—elegant and extravagant spendings, high class parties, expensive hookers and the occasional drugs. Normal activities of every rich, young and egoistic prick.” Thomas spat out.S
Few Hours EarlierLuna sat in the sunroom, a brush in hand, staring at the canvas before her. She had barely touched it in the last hour. Her thoughts were elsewhere.Sebastian.She had told herself that his sudden absence from her life was expected. He was working on something huge, something that required his full attention. But that didn’t stop the ache. She missed him. More than she should.Her grip on the brush tightened as she exhaled sharply.This was her fault.She should have said something when he told her he loved her. Should have reached for his hand, should have let him know that she felt something too. But she hadn’t. Because she was afraid.Jasper had made her afraid.She had given her heart once and had it shattered, trampled on as if it were nothing. And now, she didn't want to go through that rollercoaster again. Undeniably, she liked Sebastian—loved him even. But she was scared, scared that she was moving too fast into another situation that could leave her out in t
Before Luna could ask who Jasper wanted to call, he stopped her with a raised finger.“Hello, Dr. Voss. How are you? I'm very sorry for disturbing you this late night.” Sebastian's voice boomed throughout the room. He waited and listened as the doctor responded on the other side of the phone.After a short while, Sebastian continued. “Yes, Doc. I'm well and the tech firm is doing very well indeed. Infact, we just bagged a deal, which when completed, will cement our position as the best tech firm in the United States.” Sebastian puffed out his chest slightly as he showboated his achievements. It felt like a child who was seeking validation from a guardian.Luna rolled her eyes at his antics. There was a slight period of silence which meant that the doctor was saying something on the other end. “So, Doc. Let me go straight to the reason for my call. There's this portrait which has been in my family for a long time now. Unfortunately, it was damaged by a fire and was almost ruined. Howe
Two Months After The Shootout The courtroom had been silent when the judge read the sentence. Life Imprisonment Alexander Mason, once a feared man, had sat expressionless as the verdict was delivered. His fate had been sealed—the culmination of years of crime, deceit, and brutality. The United States government had wasted no time in securing his extradition. The evidence against him was overwhelming: the murder of Jake Morgan and Jung Yen, the torture and grievous bodily harm inflicted on Sebastian’s mother, Luna, Lin and his funding of a terrorist cell (Black Sentinel).There had been no grand farewell or dramatic objection from him; just a simple nod as the gavel came down, condemning him to a lifetime behind bars. His reign of terror had ended. In the weeks that followed, Thomas and Sebastian worked closely with the local authorities in Vietnam. With Alexander gone, the Black Sentinel crumbled, their remaining members either arrested or fleeing into the unknown. The contraban
Five Hours EarlierThe convoy moved steadily along the winding dirt road, a line of black Humvees and trucks kicking up clouds of dust under the gaze of the moon. Inside one of them, Sebastian sat with his hands bound, his jaw clenched. Lin and Luna sat beside him, equally restrained. Across from them, Alexander Mason sat, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Sebastian had expected many things when Alexander’s men had dragged Luna, Lin and him, bagged their heads and tossed them into the van, but the sight that greeted him when he had reoriented himself was not one of them. The moment his eyes landed on her, his breath caught in his throat.“Mum?” His voice cracked, disbelief rendering him momentarily frozen. Her eyes widened, and before anyone could react, Sebastian lunged forward, pulling her into his arms. Her thin frame trembled as she clung to him fiercely, her silent sobs shaking her body. “You’re alive.” Sebastian whispered, as he deepened the hug.Alexander chuckl
Thomas adjusted his night-vision binoculars and focused on the camp below. Locating the camp after Jasper's direction wasn't hard, coupled with the fact that they had high-tech surveillance devices. The camp was a hive of activity, armed personnels moving swiftly in all directions. From their vantage point, he and his team had a clear view of the entire setup. The black tent in the center caught his attention again. Jasper had been clear. That was where Sebastian's mother was being held.However, getting into the camp wasn't going to be easy. It was heavily guarded and its location in the centre of the camp was a tactical nightmare. Thomas arched his brow as he noticed a pattern. There was a tall, bearded man, immaculately dressed, who strolled leisurely around the camp. As he walked, soldiers paused and slightly bowed to him in respect. This led Thomas to believe that the man held some sort of high authority. He was definitely the top dog in the camp, the shot caller. Thomas zoo
Sebastian’s head hung low, blood dripping from his temple. His wrists were raw from the metal shackles that bound him to the wooden post. His body screamed with pain from the beatings, but he had endured worse. He would not break. He just hoped that Jasper had been able to escape and call for help.Lin was slumped beside him, barely conscious. Her face was swollen, her lip split open. They had fought. They had endured.With a venomous stare, he spat out a lump of blood on the boot of his torturer. The torturer was a bulky, dark man who had been tuning them up for days in search of information. He had proven to be an unyielding captor, and the fact that Sebastian and Lin refused to talk infuriated him. A knock vibrated the door. The torturer's attention snapped to the door. He had instructed his minions not to interrupt him whenever he was at work. With an irritated voice, he snapped.“Who's there?” He bellowed.No response.Sebastian and Lin exchanged weak glances. They were glad fo
Jasper’s breath came in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the dense undergrowth. Twigs snapped underfoot, branches tore at his arms, and the darkness seemed to press against him from all sides. After running and simultaneously scanning his environment for hours, he had done it.He had escaped the camp.But now what? Realization dawned on him. Adrenaline had driven him out of the camp, but now that the rush was fading, reality set in.Where the hell was he?The jungle was vast and like a green void. He had no compass, no map, and no idea how far he had run. He sighed as he mentally facepalmed himself.He had been so reckless.How was he going to locate the shore where the boat had been hidden?He forced himself to keep moving. There was no turning back. As the hours stretched into days, Jasper’s pace slowed. His legs burned, his lips cracked from dehydration, and his stomach twisted painfully from hunger. No food. No water. The sun was relentless, beating down on him thro
Jasper had begun to believe his father had abandoned him again. Days had passed without any word from him. It was therefore surprising when his father strode into his tent on a cold evening. His father stood at the entrance of the tent, a smug look on his face. Jasper hated how unaffected Alexander looked. He clenched his fists. “Where are my friends?” “They’re fine.” His father replied him, his voice devoid of emotion.Jasper studied him. He didn't believe anything he said.“I want to see them.” His father exhaled through his nose. “That won’t be happening.” Before Jasper could retort, Alexander held up a hand to cut him short. “I didn't come here to banter words with you. I came here to give you a choice.” Jasper’s jaw tightened. “What choice?” “You leave this island. Tomorrow morning, a helicopter will arrive. You’ll board it, and you’ll forget you ever saw me.” Jasper stared at him in disbelief and confusion.“Excuse me?” He inquired.“You heard me.” Jasper let out
Two days passed by in quick succession. Ever since Alexander stormed out of the tent, he hadn't returned. The only people who had entered and left the tent were the nurse who came to change his bandage and the maids who came to drop off food and water for Jasper and the strange woman I'm the corner. Two days confined in a space with a mute woman who was like a lifeless husk—unwilling to socialize. The morning of the third day, Alexander decided to bless Jasper with his presence. Jasper sat on the edge of his chair, his father’s piercing gaze locking onto him like a predator studying its prey. Without any form of pleasantries, Alexander decided to swoop in for the kill. “Let’s try this again.” He said, his voice calm but firm. “My apologies. I wasn't entirely honest with you. Your friend Jung is in custody, that you already know. However, we also managed to capture two other people plus the commando-lady we picked up two weeks ago. They've already been questioned and I have to give i
Jasper groaned as he stirred, pain radiating from his injured leg. His mind was foggy, the lingering effects of morphine dulling his senses. As his mind cleared, the first thing he registered was the smell of roasted coffee beans. Last time he checked, they weren't on a vacation island which provides luxuries like hot frothy coffee. With a huff, he sat up and properly assessed his surroundings. He was in a tent, that much he could deduce. The tent was well furnished, two plush couches arranged perpendicular to each other, a large shiny oak table in the centre, maps and documents spread across it, expensive-looking artworks propped up against the foot of the tent and another king-sized bed situated in the opposite corner of the tent. Glancing at his foot, he noticed that it had been neatly wrapped up with clean bandages. He sighed.His nostrils traced the source of the coffee smell. It came from a coffee pot which was placed on a tray with cups on a table in the corner of the tent. T
From the shadows, figures emerged. At least five of them, dressed in a mixture of camouflage and dark clothing, their faces partially covered with cloth. Each one wielded a weapon—rifles, machetes, even crossbows.The leader, a tall man with a bald head, stepped closer. Unlike the other men, he didn't cover his face with a cloth. From the slant of his eyes, he seemed to be of oriental origin. However, his English was surprisingly clear and well-pronounced. “Who are you? And what are you doing on this island?” His voice boomed and reverberated around the forest floor. Sebastian's mind whirled as he tried to figure out the best way out of their current predicament. Looking at the men, it was evident that they weren't government military personnels; instead, they looked like the pirates that Lin had warned them about. Sebastian exchanged a tense glance with Luna. He knew one thing for certain. They were in serious trouble.“We are researchers, on a research mission to uncover the w