"Good morning."I heard a voice as I opened my eyes slowly. My exhaustion from last night urges me to flatter it back again, but I felt someone tugging the blanket close to my chin as soon as I woke up."Lorenzo?" I muttered as my gaze cleared up and adjusted to the light.He was sitting beside my lying figure, and he was leaning on the bed's headboard with his other hand behind his head. He was shirtless, and his body tattoo glistened with the sun's rays from the wide window on the penthouse.A pained wince escaped my mouth as I tried to move my body, but all I felt was a stinging pain that shocked through every part of my body."Don't move. " He said as he moved to my side to reach something."Huh?" I blinked as I looked at my body and saw bruises and bandages, there are some large giant cushions, blankets, and pillows around me."You passed out last night." He said as he soothed my back."Oh," my face heats as I grow embarrassed and he noticed it."Why?" Lorenzo chuckled as he kiss
"Allura..." Zacharias whispered as he looked at the person in the photo.Reminiscing memories was enough to make Zacharias tear up after some years. He was a man who barely cared about emotions anymore, sulking on his own, especially when the people around him were gone. He knew very well who he needed and what he had turned to, even he was scared of his capabilities. It was like he couldn't feel the limit and intolerance anymore, it was just pure void.Zacharias was about to drift off, especially as the rain started to fall, yet it took him hours to finally sleep.It was now the middle of the night.Until he heard his phone ring.Ring! Ring!Zacharias sighed as he grabbed his phone, and Lorenzo was calling."Zach-!" Gunshots "We need back- Fuck! " Lorenzo's voice was cut off and jittery. Zacharias heard gunshots and people shouting from the phone call"We've been ambushed!" Lorenzo groaned through the phone.Zacharias widened his eyes in anticipation, and his heart skipped a beat."S
"What the fuck?!"Dominic shouted as he saw the two familiar faces, especially Amanda Fierro.His stepsister.Amanda didn't waste time running to Dominic and kicking him straight in the head, making the man late to react."Dom—!" Leo was about to shout until he was grabbed by Raven from behind.Leo immediately looked back and kicked his hand away causing them both to stumble back, but Raven moved back and regained momentum, running up to Leo, who was also running up to him, and they both kicked each other, desperately trying to lock one other's joints, the two men's fighting style was almost the same.Members from Araoluwa started attacking the building as well and Regio started calling for more backups, hurling each other attacks, and the place was starting to get in chaos."Shit," Toshiro grunted as he slowly stands up from his collapse a while ago due to Raven's kick."This isn't the old times anymore." He gets a gun from one of their men who just came in time. "Pistols and physica
The Regio immediately arrive at their destination, which is their mansion or their main base.The long ride from Roppongi to the mansion was painfully quiet, just like the ride the day before, and they were serious the entire ride, which felt intimidating. They didn't talk like they usually do, spitting out banter and laughing. No, they didn't, and they would only speak if it was about business or gang matters, which they were all serious about.And until now, I still got no replies or any responses from Mask, which worried me.As I quickly got out of the vehicle, I walked inside hastily, but then I stopped in my tracks as Zacharias spoke."Bring Allura to her room. Don't let her out until we say so." He commanded the workers."H-Huh?" I looked back and saw some of the workers grab both of my shoulders."Don't touch her." Lorenzo sternly said."Sorry, boss." The workers said as they let me go and guided me to my room instead."Mask, psst." Haru called his friend while they were inside
"So... do I just talk here."I mutter while trying to navigate the walkie-talkie that Mask gave me yesterday, and I'm still inside my room, not even getting the chance to step outside.Allura isn't complaining though."Why isn't this working." I grumble as I pressed a few random buttons, and it's not like a regular walkie-talkie, it's more like those kinds of advanced handheld transceivers that are used in offices."Hello?" Until I heard a mechanical robot-like voice talk on the walkie talkie and I almost threw it."Holy shit—" I inhaled sharply."Hello? Allura, it's me, Mask." He said."Oh hi.""Can you hear me? Sorry if the audio is jittery, but can you still hear me?""Y-Yeah sorry, my soul left my body for a second." I replied."Oh," he chuckled. "Anyway, I can hear you.""Mask, may I ask why are we talking here instead of on your phone?He paused for a brief moment before answering. "I-I just broke my phone.""Oh, what happened? You dropped it or-?""Yeah, sort of, but let's not
(Mask) :hey allura, i have my phone back, we can text each other here now.Sent 19:42After Zacharias and I went home from the hospital, I immediately ran to my room and locked it again, then checked my phone.(Allura) :oh slr and how about the walkie talkie? should I still keep it?Sent 22:09(Mask) :it's up to you Sent 22:09(Allura) :ohSent 22:11(Mask) :why?Sent 22:15(Allura) :nothingSent 22:15(Mask) :are you doubting? it's really meI just got my phone back.anywaythere are scratches here and there on my screen as soon as I received itidk what the fuck did our bosses do to our phonesI feel invaded Sent 22:15(Allura) :ohsorry about thatthey're unpredictableeven if they confiscated phones, giving them back with damage is unnecessary.Sent 22:15(Mask) :yeah, it's really weirdthey are weird fucking delusionalsSent 22:16(Allura) :try to calm down for a whileI wish I could help but they're not allowing me to see anyone in this building right nowSent 22:1
I'm still lying in my bed, tear streaks apparent on my cheeks, eyes widening with veins visible, noticeable dark circles, and the torture from last night kept on replaying in my head."I can't sleep." I whispered while I groggily blinked my eyes at the sunlight hitting my face from the window.Knock! Knock!I flinched as I heard knocks at the door, and I pulled the blanket before going under it, pretending to sleep."Allura, breakfast is ready—" Dominic said as he entered Allura's room with a tray of food, but then he stopped when he saw that she was still sleeping."Allura," he walked towards her as he placed the tray on the side table. "Wake up."I'm trembling under the sheets, and I can't bear to face him at this moment, especially from what I saw last night.I felt his hand pull down the blanket, exposing my shoulder; the cool breeze in my room didn't help, so I pushed myself to sleep, pretending that no one was behind me."Stop pretending. I know you." Dominic said in a strict to
I'm still inside my room for days now with no phone, yet they still give me daily meals, but even so, I have no appetite and energy to do anything.Everything that happened in the last two days almost made me lose myself. I wasn't taking care of myself like usual, my heartbeat always racing, sleep-deprived, and most of all, I lost interaction with everyone, as if I wanted to talk to them anyway.There are still no updates from Mask and Hasen also.I stood up from my bed to face the vanity mirror on my desk, finally deciding to maybe fix myself today, but I winced as I saw myself in front of it, looking so groggy and just out of place."God... 'm so fucking ugly. What happened..." I thought as I ran a hand through my scalp and gripped it with stress.I bent down to grab the hairbrush that fell on the floor, but I noticed a small drawer hanging on my vanity. Out of curiosity, I opened it, and what I saw made my eyes widen.A bottle of unfamiliar drugs and pills, possibly some poisonous.
Any person would freak out if they see this church, even the village itself. Anyone wouldn't dare to go here. But Zacharias and Allura? Why would they be? This place is what they call a beauty, yet none of them admitted that. They kept it to themselves like a secret. Just like before. As to why Zacharias regretted things now. He was indeed too late. "Let's enter?" I asked. "Let's go to the garden," but a different thing was in his mind. "A garden?" I tried to remember what it was. "I'll be left here alone, Ms. Marin. I'll just be waiting here." Willbert said and I just nodded but kept I phone with me. As Zacharias and Allura entered the church, he opened the rusty wooden double door, directing them to the church's garden. There, it shows an old patio, a rusty table and chairs, a cracked small stone fountain, a fence filled with webs now, and those fairy lights still hanging on the tree's branches. My eyes widened as I remember all of these in one place. Why was knowing my p
"She'll never arrive ten minutes early." Toshiro said as he looked at his wristwatch. Zacharias and the others have been waiting inside the van for over thirty minutes. They complain about the time, but they're always too advanced of arrival. Just like any other business trip, they'd all gathered to check that place discussed in the meeting the other day. "Ms. Marin is here," Kanji said, addressing me... formally. "Just came in time." I thought as I greeted each of them and also introduced Willbert to them, the secretary. As Zacharias continued to attempt to avoid her, he couldn't help but notice this one new behavior she developed. Allura never arrive early yet late, but instead, she's always arriving at the exact time. He just gave me a nod and a formal handshake as I then walked out to ride in my car to just follow them to the place. "Now I know the reason why you kept on rejecting Dias Corporation's offer," Kanji muttered. As the van began to drive toward their destination
"Mom, I'm sorry, I couldn't convince that large company to continue the partnership." I said on my phone while I'm currently in my room, and Eri is out of town for business matters, so it's me who's handling the company for now. Eri kept silent for a moment, and my brows furrowed as I looked at my phone screen to check if the call has ended. "Mom? Are you still there?" "Oh, yeah. I'm still here," Eri mumbled, and her tone was monotonous. "Is everything alright there? I should tell Secretary Willbert to escort you there. I can handle the company here." I said, sounding worried. "No, it's fine. I've already spoken to the company you've been mentioning for the past few days, too." Eri said. "Really?" My eyes shone. "I'll surely give you half of my shares when we continue the partnership, but of course, I need to give an outlook to their employees first. We can't just trust the human resources team sometimes." Eri really had no energy left ever since that day Allura asked her abou
They say everything that was done in haste will go to waste.Ever since he saw a glimpse of her, everything felt like reverting from the start.Last week, Friday night, the same exact night where he saw her again. No, he couldn't be mistaken. It was really her.He's at his firm's office, sitting in his office while gazing outside the glass window from the fifty-seventh floor."Sir Sano," one of his employees called.Expecting to sign a fresh set of documents on his desk, Zacharias turned in his chair and tapped his desk."Toshiro, just place them," Zacharias told in almost a whisper."How's your medication?" Toshiro was actually about to ask this. Not bombard Zacharias with tons of paperwork again.Zacharias just nodded and rubbed his eyes as he yawned. "It's alright.""Alright? I've heard from the doctors that you've been skipping your medication." Toshiro said."Then I'll take one today. You can go now, thank you." Zacharias simply said."Wait. Have you told Kanji about the new part
"More?"The bartender asked as I was getting myself wasted on the bar's counter."One more shot," I groggily said as my head was lying down on the counter.The bartender looked at me cluelessly at my state. "A heartbreak?""Hell? Fuck no," I scoffed."My bad. Usually the customers who get wasted, slumping themselves down on that counter are going through a breakup. I believe it's a curse now." He joked."Well, I am not. Just fill my glass up... Goddamn," I grunted as I clank my shot glass on the counter."Alright, alright," the bartender said as he hurriedly filled my glass up. I grabbed the glass from him, and he's just standing there as I gulp the shot of gin straight."Ma'am, seems like your phone has been ringing for minutes now," the bartender said as he noticed the constant dings and rings on my phone beside me.I raised my head lazily as I checked my phone with my squinted eyes.74 missed calls from Erianne Dhiore59 missed calls from Zane WilbertAnd more missed calls from my
"It's impressive, Madame Allura, the company in the meeting a while ago backed out of their contract."Secretary Zane Willbert said inside my office, and he's also the secretary of Eri."Yeah," I simply replied while I was busy signing the files."Uhm, do you know that company has been pestering us for almost a month? They kept on insisting on pushing this future plan of theirs and the partnership." Zane informed."Why am I only informed now?" I stopped with my work and looked at him."Madame Dhiore told me not to inform you since she wants the higher positions to handle this. She didn't want to add up more work for you." Zane said."Next time, tell her to have her inform me of every audit that takes place within the company." I commanded."Yes, madame.""Also, madame. Since you refused that company's offer, do you want to move forward with the next company?" Zane asked as he took his iPad out to list information."The background of their company?""They're also a company that focuses
"Madame Allura!"I woke up the next morning feeling nausea washing over me. As soon as I got out of bed, I heard frantic knocks on my door and someone calling me.Fixing my hair and appearance for a bit, I opened the door since it seemed like the maids were calling me in a rush."Secretary Willbert Zane has been calling you. Eight o'clock is close, and you're going to be late for your supposed meeting, madame!" The maids shouted."Fuck," I cursed under my breath."Tell Secretary Zane that I'll be there in thirty minutes," I hurriedly added as I closed the door and proceeded on getting ready.After forty minutes of getting ready, even if I'm told that I'll be finished within thirty minutes, I quickly prep myself and ate at least small portions of breakfast before going out of the house."Ah shit, mom will kill me." I thought. I know that my stepmother Eri is the one that holds the highest position in the company, and of course, there will be times when she needs to take her role. She m
Ten years later..."The rise of Dias Corporation! Cheers!"The workers of Dias Corporation clanked their bottles as they commemorated a special day for the company inside a restaurant."Madame Marin... All of us look up at her hard work." Eri's workers said with genuineness."I never doubt how I grew my daughter. She deserves the position in my company." Eri said as she sipped the glass of wine.After being admitted to the hospital ten years ago, Eri immediately entered my name in her company. Of course, it wasn't that easy. I had to attend therapy, take my prescription every day, and take extra lessons.It was like I was at university again, studying business courses for a brief period of time but also needing to join the civil service and earn a degree in business management to secure the position. Even though Eri, my stepmother, had to cover all of my expenses, it wasn't simple to attend classes while still keeping up with my health."Cheers to Ms. Allura Marin, our general manager
They say, at the end of the day, it's the people who are capable of achieving their wants, dreams, and affords that will only survive.And years later...It's only those people who are sane, and who still have a space in mind for serenity.They think it's okay to survive in this world, but what's engulfing them is the feeling of dread and loneliness as they grow old.It was a mixture of emotions, honestly. It's overwhelming."Kanji, how was it?" Toshiro asked as he entered Kanji's office in his firm.The two knew it was best for the group to disband. They felt like it was the best option. It's a horrendous era for them, and they have to end it.Kanji didn't notice that he was dozing off, so Toshiro had to call his attention thrice. "Kanji?""O-oh," Kanji shook his head. "Sorry, what was that?""I said, how's the convention, a while ago?" Toshiro asked."Ah, it's alright. Just a few errands here and there," Kanji replied as he placed his phone on his office table while turning his phon