Alvin's POV I didn't move away from the door even after Nora left—I was too weak to move even an inch. My back was on the floor as I was staring at the ceiling of the executive suite's sitting room. Every part of my body felt numb and completely useless—and I realised why soon enough. It was because I confessed my feelings to a girl when I've earlier preached and made people believe that I would forever live as a playboy who would never fall in love or think of settling down. My heartbeats hammered in my ribcage so loud that I could hear it from where I laid on the ground. My eyes felt heavy—but I couldn't shed a tear no matter how hard I tried. The stubborn and persistent part of my head was screaming at me to open the door and run after her before she succeeded in getting out of the hotel and out of the world, but I couldn't do it because of my weak state. My heart skipped beats as I thought of “what if Raven is waiting for her outside?“ and “where would she go now that Raven
(Continuation of David and Priscilla's scene) David's mouth was wide-open as he stared at the woman in front of him. Her smile remained on her face with her hands outstretched to him for a handshake. She didn't look like she knew who he was—and if she did know, she did a good job pretending like she didn't. David's gaze slowly travelled from her head to toe, and then they stopped at her hands which were outstretched to him. His eyes stayed at that spot and he swallowed his saliva in an emotion that seemed like nervousness. Some seconds later, he moved a step back like her hand contained a burning coal and he'd be doomed if he so much as touched it with his fingers. Priscilla finally dropped her hand when it became obvious that the guy was not going to take it. Her eyes darted around in awkwardness, and so did David's—just that his' held more disbelief than any other emotion. “You look surprised,” she said at last, her voice cutting in a short laugh at the end. David's fists were
(Continuation of Alvin and Raven's Scene) Alvin gasped once he heard Raven's cold words. “R-Raven?“ he stuttered in disbelief, wondering how the hell their location was found out. “Yes. It's me,” Raven said before he punched Alvin in the face. Alvin staggered back a little and the bigger guy pushed him back to Raven. “If you want to help yourself, it's better you stay quiet while we're still here and not do anything stupid. Or else, I'll be annoyed and call my soldiers to kill Nora faster.“ The hope in Alvin's heart died instantly at that moment. He had been quietly praying that they shouldn't have caught Nora, but it seemed they had. They were both probably going to be taken to the same place and slowly tortured to death after being told to say their last goodbye to each other. Alvin tried to imagine how Nora must feel wherever they have taken her, and he felt his heart ache in pain. Raven pushed him forward while he was still in his thoughts, not forgetting to warn him that he
Flashback (How it all happened) Twenty minutes ago, after Nora had left Alvin in the executive suite where they lodged, she walked out of the hotel and started to wander around in the premises. The tears in her eyes had dried, but she still felt the pain of knowing the bitter truth in her heart. She could barely walk well because of fatigue and regret. Her mind kept going back to Mr Miller's face and how he looked when he had asked about her father. Nora knew in her mind that Mr Miller knew who she was; but the fact that he hadn't sent soldiers to kill her yet was the confusing part. Could it be that he thought she couldn't pose a real threat to him? Nora didn't care, though. All she wanted at that moment was to find a quiet place to lay her head and think about all the things life had done and was still doing to her. Nora's eyes darted left and right. She wondered if Raven and the Scorpion guys would manage to find her again. No sooner had she gotten to the gate that she remembe
David got conscious immediately a cup of ice water was thrown on his face. He coughed for a minute and squinted his eyes to see where he was. David used his hands to wipe his face and looked around. His surroundings were dark, but he could make out the fact that it was built with strong wood and not bricks. The place was dreadfully cold, like you were wearing just underwear outside Russia in wintertime. He finally took the hem of his shirt and used it to wipe the dampness in his eyes. “Who the hell are you?! And where is this place? What am I doing here?“ he said to the figure he was seeing outside the room. Wait. Was it really a room? Because the place really seemed wooden and small. David tried to stretch his whole height and stand up, and that was when he realised where he was with a shocked gasp. His head had touched the roofing and he needed to bend to belly length before he could walk. He wasn't in any room or cell. He was in a damn outdoor cage! “What the f*ck is going
(Continuation of Alvin and Nora's scene) Alvin didn't let go of Nora and held her in his hands even after the kiss was broken, but Nora finally got hold of herself and pushed him away at last. His shocked face stared at her in confusion. “You're stupid,” she said. “Who killed him?“ “I—I don't know. But he would have killed me if whoever did didn't. He's a Scorpion—” “So that's how it works? Kill or be killed? Just like your father did to mine?“ “Nora. I—” The security men reached them at that moment. “Freeze!“ said two of them to Alvin and Nora. “Put your hands above your head.“ “Didn't you guys see what ha—” Alvin was bent over and forcefully handcuffed before he could finish speaking. Nora on the other hand gave in quickly and tried to avoid looking at the corpse on the ground with everything in her. The hotel was soundproof so the people inside didn't hear the gunshots at all—which was a miracle by the way. Some of the other security men and cops started to arrange an
Alvin stared at his father and swallowed his saliva in nervousness and confusion. He didn't understand a single thing that was going on. But since he heard the conversations, he guessed the owner of the Paradise Hotel was also a mafia Don and his father's close friend. It was not the discovery that made Alvin shocked—it was because he just realised that the security men had been taking them somewhere to torture and ask who they are and not visiting any FBI. The security guys still didn't get up from the ground, and some people who were going in and out of the hotel paused for a second and watched in confusion while some others waited. Some of them were looking around like they were trying to know if a movie scene was being shot—but their eyes widened when they didn't see any cameras or crew. Alvin didn't say a single word to his father. He didn't know what to say. It was obvious that his father had found out everything that happened in and outside the hotel—even the fact that his
Nora's POV My heart leapt out of my chest immediately I heard what he said. I stood frozen and observed part of his face even though the rest was masked. I couldn't see his face entirely, but I swear everything he said didn't sound like a joke. It seemed like he would really do what he said if I leave. Which brings the questions: Should I change my mind because of him? And should I pause and wait around until either his father or my step-brother comes to claim my head. I could do both of that. But what will he make of it if I do so? He'd probably think I like him to the extent of caring about his life and decisions he makes—which might make him proud in the long run. But as I looked straight in his eyes, I didn't see anything that spelt untruthfulness or insincerity. I felt like I could trust his words that there's always a light at the end of every dark tunnel. I felt like I could lose myself in his arms while patiently waiting for anything that becomes of me. Could he really pro