Vote!
★★★★Jasmine stood frozen, her heart hammering against her ribcage as the scene before her slowly sank in. "No... this can’t be real. I’m not seeing this," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she placed a trembling hand over her chest. Her once rosy cheeks had turned ashen, and her breath hung in the cold air like fragile wisps of mist. Her mind fought against the reality her eyes couldn’t deny, the sight of her father’s lifeless body sprawled out on the hospital bed.The doctor, his voice detached and clinical, broke the heavy silence. "His neck was broken, and there was significant internal bleeding in the brain. Those injuries were the primary cause of death."Jasmine snapped her head toward the doctor, her voice laced with a rising panic. "He was killed, wasn’t he?"The doctor met her gaze, his tone unwavering. "Such injuries aren't self-inflicted. Cancer wasn’t what ended his life."Her knees nearly buckled beneath her as she took in the cold, unfeeling truth. She turned b
★★★★★ Dante’s fingers hovered briefly over his phone, his thoughts racing as he dialed the number. The tension in his voice was unmistakable when the woman at the reception answered. "This is Dante Colley. I need to speak with my father immediately," he said, his voice cutting through the pleasantries, leaving no room for delay. The receptionist didn’t hesitate, recognizing the weight behind the name. "Yes, right away, Mr. Colley," she responded, quickly patching the call through to the boardroom where his father was entrenched in a high-stakes meeting. The boardroom was a sea of stern faces, the air thick with the unease that had settled in after the day’s shocking announcement. Among them, a middle-aged man who had been a loyal steward of the Colley family’s wealth for decades finally spoke up, his voice wavering with the gravity of the situation. "Sir," he began, addressing Dante’s father with a tone that mixed respect and concern, "I know I’m not in a position to demand answer
★★★★★ As Phil and Damon screeched to a halt outside the hospital, the tension between them was palpable. They barely managed to slam the car doors shut before charging toward the main entrance, their urgency clear in the hard set of their jaws. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the sterile smell of disinfectant and the low hum of fluorescent lights. When they reached the reception desk, surprisingly it was a man sitting there instead of the woman who had guided Jasmine earlier. Phil leaned forward, his voice laced with an edge of impatience. "What is Ronald Cooper's ward number? And can you tell me if his daughter is with him?" The man, seemingly unfazed by the rush, glanced up briefly before turning his attention to the computer. His fingers danced across the keyboard with a disconcerting calmness. "Just a moment," he replied. After a few clicks, he finally spoke, his tone monotonous and detached. "Mr. Cooper was admitted five days ago, brought in by his daughter and mother. Th
★★★★★“Sir, I swear, I’m not lying,” the man gasped, his voice strained as Damon’s grip lifted him off the ground, his feet barely touching the floor. “I don’t know where she is. We saw her come into this room, but… but she never came out. I don’t understand it either, I—” The man’s words faltered as Damon’s hold tightened, his fear now mingling with confusion.Damon’s eyes blazed with fury, his voice low and venomous as he spat out his words. “She’s not a ghost. Someone took her, and you’re telling me you have no idea? In a hospital you work at? You think I’m going to believe that? You know this place inside out, and you know the people who run it. So start talking, or I’ll make you wish you had.”The man’s breath came in shallow, panicked gasps as he struggled to speak. “There’s… there’s a basement,” he choked out, his voice barely audible. “It’s… it’s hidden, behind that wall. It leads to a tunnel that goes straight to the road behind the hospital. The road… it goes to the docks by
★★★★★Jasmine’s voice cracked as she unleashed the fury that had been festering inside her for far too long. "He did everything for you and your mother," she spat, her words slicing through the tension in the room like a blade. "He betrayed my mother, turned his back on everything for you people, and what did he get in return? A broken neck and internal bleeding! He was dying already. You didn’t have to go and kill him like that. It wasn’t enough that he was already suffering?"Kesha leaned back, her eyes narrowing as a cold smile curled her lips, the kind that never quite reached her eyes. "Why are you so concerned with a dead man, Jasmine? Shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself, about what’s coming next?" Her voice was smooth, almost mocking, as if she took pleasure in Jasmine’s rage. "You think you can make us feel guilty with your accusations? Nah! What you should be doing is begging for mercy, because what’s about to happen to you... well, let's just say, you won’t be able
★★★★★ Payne’s brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to locate her mother’s phone, but the screen only displayed its last known location—the hospital. Her stomach twisted in knots; she knew her mother wasn’t there. Dante had made that clear when he mentioned something had gone terribly wrong. Ceece paced back and forth, her frustration mounting with every second that ticked by. "Nadia, we need to stop sitting around and start looking for her! I’m so angry at myself," she muttered, her voice filled with self-reproach. "I should’ve listened to Payne earlier. We should’ve acted sooner, but now we’re stuck, and who knows what’s happening to her?" Nadia sighed, rubbing her temples as she tried to quell the throbbing pain in her head. "Ceece, this isn’t the time for self-blame," she said, her tone firm but not unkind. "We can’t afford to lose focus. We need to figure out where she is and how to get to her as quickly as possible. Blaming yourself or anyone else isn’t going to help. Ma
★★★★Layla's breath hitched as she stepped back, half-hidden behind her mother, a soft, terrified whisper escaping her lips. "Damon Colley..." Kesha’s heart pounded in her chest, the sight of armed men in her home sending a surge of icy fear through her veins. She tried to keep her voice steady, to muster any semblance of authority, but the fear was palpable in her tone. "Who are you people? And why have you barged into my home with guns drawn?"Damon’s eyes were cold, filled with a fury that cut through the air like a knife. "Where is she?" His voice was low, almost a growl, but it carried the weight of a deadly promise.Kesha's hands trembled slightly, but she squared her shoulders, trying to hold onto her composure. "Who are you talking about? We don't know anything!" Her voice wavered as she tried to appear strong, though the fear that gripped her heart was almost overwhelming.Damon’s expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. "If you waste another second lying to me about
★★★★★Damon remained silent, his expression as cold and unyielding as ever. He didn’t so much as glance at the growing inferno or the chaos erupting around him as his men continued to stoke the flames. The fire was spreading rapidly, devouring everything in its path, and the servants, realizing the danger, began to flee in a desperate bid to save their lives.Kesha watched in horror as the fire consumed her home, the heat pressing against her like a physical force. Panic clawed at her insides as she realized that Damon had no intention of stopping, no matter how much destruction was wrought. Her voice broke through the crackling flames, trembling with desperation and fear. "Your fiancée—Cindy—she’s taken Jasmine somewhere! They’re planning to sell her, to ship her out of the country. They might already be at Sixth Vetch Dock. There’s a ship there—it’s set to leave soon, and Jasmine will be on it!"Her words tumbled out in a frantic rush, her fear driving her to reveal everything she k
★★★★ "Ellie!" Gary tried to approach Harley's mother, but he stopped him, saying, "Don't come close to mom. I didn't lay my hands on you just because of her even though I was on the verge of ripping your neck off your body. So, Again count yourself lucky!" Harley growled at his father. Just then, one of Harley’s men interrupted. "Boss, this woman is fainting!" Harley’s gaze shifted briefly to Amanda before he gave his orders in a cold, merciless tone. "Take her to the hospital. Make sure she doesn’t die, and ensure she gets proper treatment at our camp." Amanda tried to protest, but her words failed her as she collapsed. Without hesitation, Harley’s men carried her away, leaving the scene in tense silence. By that time, Harley's mom mustered up some strength and looked at her husband with pain and tears. Earlier, when Amanda said those things about Gary, she denied them without a second thought, even though somewhere in her heart, a bad feeling was swirling. But, in the end, she wa
★★★★"Are you hurt?" Harley asked, concern lacing his voice."Yeah, my foot," Nadia winced, her grip tightening around his neck. "I think something’s stuck in it."Without hesitation, Harley scooped her up in his arms, cradling her gently as he made his way inside, his jaw set with determination."It's Amanda, and she has more people inside," Nadia cautioned him so that he could have his gun ready."Humph!" Harley hummed only, then took her to a place where there was little light and a small place to sit. He carefully laid her down, turned on the phone's flashlight, and said, "Hold it up on your feet and let me see what it is?"Nadia's face was tired and sweaty, but her eyes were calm seeing Harley in front of her eyes. She got the phone and held it up, only then did they both notice a nail embedded in her left foot.As soon as Harley touched the nail, Nadia cried out, clutching his hair in her palm as her agonizing voice erupted, "Oh, it’s hurt!"Harley looked up at Nadia’s painful f
★★★★★ "I don't know how...." Harley's mother's hands were shaking as she held the gun in her hand. "There's no time for a lesson! Just put the muzzle on my handcuffs and shoot!" Nadia shouted, her impatience growing as Amanda's people could show up at any second. "Alright," Harley's mother muttered, exhaling sharply. She pressed the muzzle against the lock and fired without hesitation. The handcuffs snapped open instantly. Nadia forthwith ran to Amanda and pulled her back by her hair before Amanda could able to run out of the room. "Let me go, bitch!" Amanda protested, trying to scream. But Nadia held her back with her arm around her neck. Suddenly Amanda's men arrived with guns drawn. Seeing them, Amanda screamed, "Don't just stand there and help me!" She gritted her teeth and spat at the people who should have been running to her aid. "Don't come close to her if you want her alive and well?" Nadia yelled, holding Amanda tightly as she tried to strike a deal for them to escape.
★★★★★Meanwhile, Harley returned home and learned from the servant that his father had been awake for a while but had ordered no visitors until he permitted it. Ignoring the warning, Harley marched straight to his father’s room. Rather than knock, he pounded on the door.His father’s irritated voice boomed from within. "I warned you—I don’t want any interference! If you all want to keep your jobs, stay out of my business!"At that moment, Harley responded by firing on the door lock and then kicking it open. Gary ran to the corner in fear, his back hitting the wall. When Gary saw that it was Harley who had shot at the door, he blurted out, "What's going on in your head? You could have called me!" "Where are they?" Harley yelled with murderous eyes."Who are you talking about?" Gary replied, trying to sound calm, but miserably failed under his son's intense gaze. Harley clenched his teeth and rushed to his father, who tried to escape, but Harley grabbed him by his throat and howled, "
★★★★★ Jasmine was exhausted, thirsty and going through the ripping pain in her shoulder, but she made sure she reached out for her husband, who was looking for her crazily. "Hello... it's me!" Jasmine said in a tired voice and crawled away from the dead man. Since it was almost dark, she took refuge behind a tree and decided to stay there until Damon came. "Where are you?" Damon's harsh voice broke out, full of impatience and tension. "Come and get me. I am tired and I...I killed a man who wanted to kill me," Jasmine said, "Also a group of people took Nadia with them. She is in danger too. Bring men," Jasmine said, closing her eyes. "Hang in there!" Damon said. There was a sense of reassurance in his voice that calmed Jasmine and she replied, "Okay!" And she touched her shoulder where she felt pain. Meanwhile, Harley reached the mansion where Amanda's father was busy in the swimming pool with some young lady. As soon as they entered, they all started screaming in fear becau
★★★★★"I don’t know anything!" Harley’s mother stammered, her voice trembling as she scrambled towards Nadia, who sat handcuffed in the corner. "In my sleep, I felt someone’s hand on my face, and I jolted awake. I tried to fight, and Harley’s father did the same, but they injured him before dragging me out of the villa. It was dark outside.""I think it’s the same people who brought you here. They pretended to be the police and tricked me," Nadia said calmly as she looked at Harley's worried mother."How is his father?"Nadia felt bad hearing Harley's mother's worried voice."When I left the villa, a doctor monitored him and the doctor said he is fine and has no injuries," Nadia said."You are not lying to me, are you?" Harley's mother asked again just to believe Nadia was not saying the positive just to keep her calm."Why would I lie to you to keep you satisfied when both of our lives are at stake? I was thinking about your son. I'm afraid he won't deal with this situation patiently
★★★★Nadia didn't go to her house. Instead, she went to Jasmine's house. All the way she kept wondering if Amanda was really that stupid. Knowing Harley's nature, how could she dare to attack his mother, and why did she think that kidnapping Harley's mother would make it easier for her to get back into his life?When she was about to enter Jasmine's house, a police car blocked her way, which shocked Nadia, and she quickly got out of the car in confusion and asked, "What happened, Sir?!" At the same time, Jasmine saw Nadia and the police from the balcony, where she was walking with a coffee mug in her hand. So, she decided to go and see what the matter was."Are you Nadia Hazelwood?" a policeman asked.Nadia replied, a little nervously, "Yes, sir, I am Nadia Hazelwood. Is something wrong?""We found illegal substances in your house. You have to come with us to the police station," the cop said, showing off the handcuff to Nadia who could no longer stop herself from panicking as she mut
★★★★ As the morning dawned Nadia found herself pinned down by a strong arm around her waist and unable to breathe. But what scared her the most was the thought that Harley was naked. She moved quickly and looked under the sheets, but he wasn't naked; he was wearing his boxers, and she sighed with relief. Then she tried to push his hand out of her to get up, but he grumbled, "Let me hold you a little longer." "I have a lot of work to do; hugging won't buy me time," Nadia grumbled. "You work in my office, and as your boss, I am ordering you to remain on the bed with me; if you're so free, you can show me your care by kissing me," Harley said. "Stop your nonsense, Harley. Your mother will come anytime and I will feel ashamed," Nadia put her hand on his face and tried to push him away, but she couldn't. Though his sleeping face looked innocent and peaceful, which urged her to stare at him for a long time, she refused to do that since she was embarrassed to show her affection. Suddenl
★★★★★"Uh..huh! What did you hear him talking about?" Harley replied calmly."He was talking to someone in the garden who I couldn't see so I was standing near the wall and listening to their conversation, then I heard your father say that if that person can't achieve what he has been given to do then he should kill himself or your father will kill him," Nadia said with shock and fear in her eyes as she thought that Harley’s father was going to harm someone."Hmmmm... Dad is consumed by the greed to get the power. That is why he abruptly came here with Mom," Harley said, making his way to the bed, his hand unbuttoning his shirt, while he added, "Let him do what he wants. I'm glad you found something entertaining in this house!""How come you are so relaxed even after knowing all this? What if he is plotting something dangerous against you because I felt he has no sympathy for you or no care that you are his son," Nadia said impatiently putting both her hands on her waist as she did no