Alex’s car sped through the cold evening toward Wilson Park, the engine’s hum steady and determined. As the car slowed near the park, Alex scanned the area through his rear camera, taking in the dimly lit surroundings. The park was almost deserted, with only a few stragglers on their way out. His eyes locked on a figure sitting on a bench under the soft glow of a security light, matching the picture he held on his phone. His grip tightened on the gun inside his coat before stepping out of the car. Meanwhile, the Alpha team had already arrived. Positioned discreetly among the trees and nearby buildings, they kept their eyes trained on Alex as he moved toward the hooded figure on the bench. The team captain whispered into his mic, “Seven o’clock,” directing the sniper to target the man Alex was approaching. The assassin’s heart raced as he saw Alex, exuding a dark, deadly aura, stride purposefully toward him. He had a bad feeling about this—this wasn’t a negotiation; it was a hit. He
It was midnight. Two black Range Rovers sped towards the nearby hospital. Inside the lead vehicle, Simon’s eyes were filled with worry as he looked at his boss, who kept breaking out in sweat, his lips turning purple. Simon’s brow furrowed as he decided to undress the unconscious Alex. He removed his coat and unbuttoned Alex’s black inner shirt, revealing his firm, masculine chest. But something horrifying caught Simon’s eye. The cut on his boss’s arm had turned black. Simon could see the black substance moving through Alex’s veins toward his chest. Though slow, it was a terrifying sight. “Hit the accelerator!” Simon screamed, his voice filled with fear and urgency. “Shit, what can I do?” he muttered to himself, worriedly. He tore Alex’s shirt and tied the arm tightly to prevent the poison from reaching his heart. The car screeched to a stop at the emergency center of the nearest hospital. As soon as Simon opened the door, he jumped out and rushed to carry Alex, shouting for a do
After seeing the doctor’s solemn expression, Simon sigh looking at the doctor’s face, worried. The doctor sighed, then looked at him and the other men around before speaking. “The both of them are fine,” the doctor’s words were comforting, but not for Simon. “What about the poison? Was it successfully extracted?” he asked, wanting to hear a clear “yes” and to put his worries to rest. “Yes, we were able to stop the poison from spreading further into the heart,” the doctor confirmed, and Simon sighed in relief. “But…” The doctor’s hesitation made Simon’s eyes widen. “He’s not waking up anytime soon. The poison stimulated his body’s reflexes, causing the brain to shut down. As long as the body still feels the poison is there, the brain won’t come back until the body finally believes the poison is gone. For that reason, he’s in a coma,” the doctor’s words echoed in Simon’s head, making him swallow hard. “There’s no way to make the body understand the poison is gone? What kind o
At the company, Simon sped into the president’s garage, parking his car quickly before rushing out and hurrying to the president’s elevator, which took him directly to Alex’s office. As soon as the electric sound was heard, Martha turned, expecting to see Alex. Instead, it was Simon who stepped out, trying to appear composed after catching his breath in the elevator. “I demand to see Alex!” Martha’s voice roared, making everyone around her sigh. “I’m sorry, the boss is not available to see you right now,” Simon said, only for Martha to scoff. “How dare he ask me to meet him and then not show up? Where’s my daughter?!” she screamed, but Simon sighed, glancing at the guards around them. “I’m sorry, the boss is unavailable to see you now. You should—” “Where’s Gerald?” she interrupted, causing Simon to sigh again, in no mood to deal with Martha at that moment. “I’m sorry, ma’am. You should leave. This is a working—” “Why is my account blocked?” Martha demanded, but Simon did
The ambulance brought Alex home with the doctor who was supposed to check on him. The maids and butler were shocked to see their boss, who had left healthy yesterday, come back today looking like he had just returned from the dead. The medical team followed him into his room, where everything was fixed. After his life-supporting machine was repaired, they were about to leave when Alex stopped the doctor. “No need to send the doctor to me, I have my—” “I’m sorry, Mr. McCollum, but she will need to assist your personal doctor as we know exactly what we did to revive you. Please accept the request.” He said this, and Simon nodded. “Sure, she can come tomorrow,” Simon said, and the doctor nodded. They all left, with Butler Thomas seeing them off. After Butler Thomas returned to his boss’s room, he wondered what might have happened. Though it was not his place to ask, he looked at his boss’s pale face and understood that he must be in pain. So, he decided to make some hot soup for his
Hazel’s blue eyes looked deep into Harden’s hazel ones, trying hard to see if he was going to lie. She knew how much he wanted her to stay away from Alex—she wanted that too—but if something bad happened to him, she wasn’t sure her fragile heart could handle it anymore.“Harden, is it about Alex?” she asked again, but this time, worry laced her words.“No… not really. There was an explosion in New York. I don’t want you seeing it and getting worried. You’re pregnant, and the doctor said your hormones aren’t stable. If you get too emotional, “you might lose the baby.”Hazel cut in, chuckling. “I understand, Harden,” she sighed, feeling relieved that it had nothing to do with Alex.“Come, let’s take a walk,” Harden said, causing Hazel to smile.“First, give me my phone,” she said. Harden handed it to her, though he was still worried she might search for news and find out what was really happening. He feared losing her again, knowing she was still madly in love with Alex.Hazel smiled,
The doctor and butler Thomas stood looking at Alex, unable to read his emotions—whether he was upset or indifferent. They watched him scoff as he stared out from the balcony for a few minutes. Then, with an expressionless face, he turned to them.“Take the body to the morgue. My assistant will send your payment for your services. Thomas, inform the subordinates. The funeral will be held this weekend,” he said, relaxing back onto the couch. Both men nodded and left Alex’s room.On their way downstairs, the doctor stopped butler Thomas.“If I may ask, what transpired between Mr. McCollum and his father for him to act so indifferent to his death?” the doctor asked, and Thomas sighed, glancing upstairs.“It’s a family matter. I can’t say,” he replied, and the doctor nodded.“I see,” the doctor said, leaving the mansion while Thomas walked toward the mansion phone.He dialed a number and held the receiver to his ear.“Hello, this is Alex McCollum’s mansion. I’m calling to announce the deat
The doctor hesitated, his eyes darting between Simon, Kayla, and the butler. Finally, after a heavy sigh, he spoke. “I sold him poison,” he confessed. The room fell into a stunned silence. Kayla’s face turned pale, her hand trembling slightly as she tried to comprehend what she had just heard. “What?!” Simon and Kayla both exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with disbelief. “You… sold him poison?” Simon repeated, his brow furrowed in confusion and anger. “Are you saying Gerald McCollum poisoned himself?” The doctor nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. “Yes, it was immediate. It was not a slow-acting poison. He wanted to die right away, because he knew his time was limited. He said it was better than suffering a long, drawn-out illness,” the doctor explained, his voice heavy with guilt. Kayla’s legs felt weak as she leaned against the desk for support. “Why didn’t anyone know? Why didn’t he tell us?” she whispered, her voice breaking. Simon clenched his fists, h
The baby kept sucking at her mother’s breast while Hazel and Alex stared at each other, as if time had stopped around them.Immediately, Alex removed his coat and covered his wife, who was dressed in palm-woven clothes.“Alex,” she whispered.“Let’s get out of here,” Alex quietly said as he carried his sleeping baby.The little girl held Hazel’s hand tightly, as if she didn’t want her to leave, making Hazel smile.“I must go,” Hazel whispered, smiling at the girl, who began to tear up.At that moment, a hunter rushed towards them, speaking Hawaiian.“What’s he saying?” Alex asked, and the girl quickly translated.“Run. Chief coming. Babies die,” she said, making Hazel look at Alex in alarm.“We must leave. The chief is coming, and twins are forbidden in their village,” Hazel explained.Alex scoffed, then suddenly noticed that Hazel was barefoot.“Both of you, come here,” he commanded his guards. “Carry the babies,” he said, then bent down and lifted Hazel into his arms.“Follow,” the
Hazel clutched her belly, gasping as another wave of pain shot through her body. The young girl’s eyes widened in panic as she watched Hazel struggle to stay upright.“Mother! Father!” the girl screamed, running out of the hut.Within seconds, the woman and the hunter rushed inside, their expressions tense.“Her water broke,” the girl said breathlessly.The woman’s face hardened with urgency. She quickly moved to Hazel’s side, supporting her as she trembled.“Lay her down,” the woman instructed, speaking in their native language.Hazel whimpered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her body was exhausted from months of recovery, but she knew there was no stopping what was about to happen. Her babies were coming.The hunter rushed outside, calling for the village healer.“I will get the midwife!” he said and took off running.Inside the hut, Hazel gritted her teeth, trying to steady her breath. The woman wiped her forehead with a damp cloth.“You’re strong. Just breathe,” she said
The woman and the hunter looked at each other. He sighed, then bit his lips. “If the chief finds out, they will kill one of the children,” he said, making the woman bite her lips in worry. “I’ve been trying to reason with him about how much it will affect our population and community if we keep killing twins. They are born special,” she said, and the hunter nodded. “Let’s help her. She’s not of our clan. She and her babies should not be punished,” he said, making the woman sigh. “We don’t know where she comes from. Her injury is severe. We can’t take her back to where you found her because she’s running from something. We—” “My farmhouse,” he interrupted, and the woman nodded. “I will take my wife and daughter so they can help care for her until she heals,” he said, and the woman agreed. “Let’s do that now,” she said, and they both nodded in agreement. Inside the central city hospital, the bloodied man who had just arrived at the emergency center watched in a blur as doctors a
Hazel could hear footsteps crashing through the underbrush behind her, men shouting orders as they gave chase. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in quick gasps. The chase was fast. Despite her big stomach, Hazel ran with the desperation of a woman fighting for survival. She could hear the voices of the guards behind her. As she ran deeper into the forest, the darkness swallowed her. The thick canopy of trees blocked any rays of sunlight. “Put on your lights!” she heard one of the guards scream. They hesitated at the edge of the forest, unable to follow her blindly into the darkness. But Hazel didn’t stop. She kept running and running because she would rather die than let Harden deprive Alex of his role as a father. Branches scratched her arms and face, but she cradled her stomach protectively as she weaved through the trees. She had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she had to escape. She stopped and turned, her legs burning, her lungs aching—but
Alex frowned after seeing Simon and Grace’s red dot concentrated in one area, while Hazel’s was moving away. Immediately, he grabbed his phone and dialed his D team. “Follow my wife,” he ordered, then called Simon. The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. He tried again and again, but still, no answer. On the last ring, someone finally picked up. “This is Inspector Austin. The user of this phone was involved in an accident,” the voice said. Alex frowned, standing up. “Which hospital?” he asked calmly, though he wasn’t calm at all. “New York Hospital,” the inspector replied. Alex hung up immediately, but before he could process the information, his phone rang again. “Boss, we missed the abductors. The jet already took off,” the captain of the D team reported. Alex’s frown deepened. “Jet?” he asked, looking at the red dot that began blinking due to a lost signal in the clouds. “Find who took my wife, idiot!” Alex screamed, hanging up. He slammed his fist on the table, dra
Grace was embarrassed. The look on Alex’s face made her immediately hide her phone. Alex scoffed, then sat back, watching as Grace swallowed hard.“I’m so—”“Is your salary not enough?” Alex asked, causing Grace to immediately bow her head.“I lost my previous phone, boss. I was planning to get a new one once I go out with Madam. I’m sorry, boss,” Grace immediately apologized.“I asked a question,” he said quietly.Grace raised her head, then immediately bowed again.“It’s more than enough, sir,” she said, bowing her head as she bit her lower lip.Alex nodded, then opened his wardrobe and brought out a new phone and a SIM card.He unboxed the phone, turned it on, and installed a personal tracker. Then he placed it on the table. He picked up his phone, activated the SIM card, and set it down. Looking at the still-embarrassed Grace, he spoke.“Fix this on my wife’s clothing, somewhere she can’t see it,” he instructed.Grace bowed and carefully picked up the SIM card.“Thank you, boss,”
The night was quiet. The butler and Grace looked at each other—what were they going to do with all this food and cake on the table? They knew their boss and madam were not coming downstairs anymore tonight. Grace looked at the butler, who sighed.“What a waste,” he whispered, and Grace nodded in agreement.“Is it okay if I package them and take them to the mansion? My colleagues will be excited to eat it. Since the boss isn’t there, they only eat regular meals,” she said.The butler nodded. “But keep the cake. The madam might want it,” he said, then helped Grace package everything while they cleaned up.Back upstairs, the room was warm and quiet. The only noise was the soft moans escaping Hazel’s lips as her neatly pedicured fingers traced against Alex’s skin.“Ah…” a breathy moan escaped her lips as Alex’s body moved in a slow, rhythmic way with hers.“Oh, Alex… goodness,” she gasped as his pace remained steady and torturous.“I love you,” Alex whispered as he pushed himself deeper i
The large governor’s dining room was eerily silent. Camila cleared her throat and smiled, but the look on Mrs. Governor’s face was far from pleasant.Harden scoffed, adjusting his suit.“With all due respect, Mrs. Governor, since my family is here, please do well to explain why I should be accused in such a manner,” he said, smiling at her.“My wife is angry about our current situation, and during the investigation, your name has come up frequently. She might have misunderstood something,” the governor said calmly.Mrs. McCall scoffed.“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be true. After all, he’s the reason his father committed suicide,” she said, making Harden scoff even harder.Without a word, he stood up and left. Camila immediately rose from her seat as well.“Forgive our abrupt departure, Your Excellency,” she said before rushing after Harden.“Please, let’s eat, sir,” Mrs. Governor urged. “I understand how you feel, and right now, I feel the same way. He has hidden
Hazel frowned at the gift box in front of her. The last time she heard of Kayla, she was with an actor in Hollywood, and her mother had been sentenced to jail for the murder of Alex’s mother. She looked at the butler before nodding at him.“Open it,” she said.The butler nodded and began to open the box. Inside, he found a beautifully crafted old Italian-designed vase. Hazel’s frown deepened. The butler gently placed it on the table before taking out a letter from the box.“There’s a letter, madam,” he said.Hazel took the letter, unfolded it, and began reading.“Hey Alex,It’s been a while. I’m doing fine here. Martinez is taking good care of me. I hope Hazel is doing well too. I know she will never forgive me for the past.The vase you’ve been asking about since childhood—the one my mother told the maid to throw away, calling it old and disgusting—the one with your mother’s name on it…I know you might have forgotten about it. After my mother ordered the maid to discard or break it,