“WHO. THE. HELL. ARE. YOU?!” Austin gnashed his teeth.
“Don’t you remember me? You owe me your life for ruining my business.”
‘Max Willies’ Austin held his phone tightly.
“Does it ring a bell?”
“How dare you take my dad… You have the guts to kidnap the President of this country. You really have a death wish, don’t you?” His jaw clenched. “What do you want?”
“I’m not afraid, Austin, but maybe you are… I know how valuable your father is. So might as well listen to what I have to say… And give me what I want.” Max warned him.
Struggling in his seat, Albert tugged aggressively at the bindings tying him down as he wanted to beat the man in front of him. “How dare you show your face to me! I will kill you… You asshole!” If they did not tie him to his seat, Albert would have beaten Andrew to a pulp.Andrew Morgan laughed mockingly at his futile attempts to get free. “Do you think you could really kill me?” He looked at Albert with brows raised. “If I were you, I’d pray to all the Gods to save me… Instead of thinking ill about me.”Albert glared at him, “Where are Beatrice and Athena?! Bring them back to me, you bastard!” He yelled.“Oh, I forgot to send a funeral invitation years ago. Beatrice is dead. And you can’t raise a deceased person.”
Austin and Ethan anxiously waited outside the operating room when the doctor in charge of the President's operation appeared.“Doctor, how is the president doing?” Ethan asked.“He is out of danger for now, but I had to induce a coma because of his condition. He suffered two stabbed wounds. One in the stomach, which didn’t pose a lot of threat because the knife didn’t hit any major organs. The second wound was in the chest, which hit the aortic arch. This is an integral part of the heart, as it carries blood into the other parts of the body. But don’t worry, I fixed it. He just needs to sleep it off. He lost a lot of blood, but fortunately, our hospital stored enough of his blood type, so we just gave him a transfusion.” The doctor explained.“Will he wake up soon?&rdq
“H-How could this be?” Max was in a daze and still couldn’t believe what was happening. ‘Now it all makes sense why Austin always appeared whenever Ethan was around. Austin was probably his right-hand man. He might be the same person who shows up at events the Devil-Reaper gets invited as a guest. To cover his identity.‘I wonder why he doesn’t want his name involved in the underground world?’ Max smirked as he shook his head.Ethan remained unemotional when he saw Max laughing. “Now, I get it… You hide your identity just to save your reputable name, all for this country, huh?” Max shook his head.“And why are you showing yourself to me now? Aren’t you worried that I will expose your identity to the world?” Max sneered as he threatened Ethan.Instead of feeling intimidated, Ethan laughed. “Do you think there is even a remote chance you can escape from this prison?” Ethan mocked.“Not a chance, man… Not a chance.” He said in a dangerous tone. Ethan walked tow
“Who. Did. This. To. You?! Tell Me!” Ethan glared at Alexa, which made her feel terrified. She took a few steps backward until she accidentally hit the antique vase that was worth hundreds of dollars. It was placed on the corner of the corridor, and bumping into it broke it into a thousand tiny pieces. Alexa gasped as she saw the broken pieces of glass all over the floor she had just cleaned.Ina ran from the kitchen when she heard the sound of something breaking. “You, idiot!” she yelled when she saw Alexa trying to pick up the shattered pieces. With long strides, Ina reached Alexa in a split second and pulled her hair. “You careless, bitch! How many times did I tell you to be careful?” Oblivious to her surroundings, she kept on scolding and tugging at Alexa’s hair. “These are very expensive pieces. How are you going to
Alexa woke up that morning feeling dizzy. She immediately ran to the bathroom when she felt the need to throw up the dinner she ate last night. But when she got there, nothing came out. ‘Arghh! What is this happening to me? Why am I so dizzy?’ Alexa massaged her temples to ease the dizziness she was feeling. ‘Maybe I’ll tell Maxime I can’t help them–- oh shit! Maxime is going to the hospital today.’ She bit her fingernails out of frustration. “What should I do? If I tell them I need to take a day off today, Ina will probably get mad again. Arghhh…” She shrugged as she felt like she had already lost her battle. ‘I guess I have no choice but to help Ina today. I just hope sh
“Miss Alexa Morgan is pregnant… ” Ethan felt horrified. He felt shaken up as if the doctor had just drenched him with cold water. The doctor was still talking, but he couldn’t hear any words she was saying. ‘Alexa is pregnant’ are the only words that kept rolling to his head. ‘Fuck!… I’m so fucked up. This is my fault. I didn’t even think about protection. What should I do now? Once Uncle Albert awakens, he and Austin will find out that Athena has been here the whole time and is no longer missing. And if that happens, they’ll get back at me for everything I did to her… I can’t… Uncle… Austin…. They’re the only family I have left… They will get furious...” ‘It’s not true. This is a dream. Alexa can’t be pregnant,’ he told himself. “Mr. Reed… Mr. Reed…” Ethan returned to his senses and looked at the doctor in a daze. “Huh?” He asked, feeling a bit lost in their conversation. “What did you say, doc?” He asked. “I gave Miss Morgan the prescription for
“Who was it?” Alexa asked after Ethan came back. He locked her door, which had Alexa panicking.“Why did you lock the door?” ‘He’s not touching me, right? I’m already bearing his child… shouldn’t that stop him from having sex with me?’ Thinking about doing it right now made her blush.“I locked the door, so no one could hear—What were you thinking?” Ethan looked at her with a frown. ‘Why is she blushing?’ He wondered.Alexa cleared her throat to cover the embarrassment she felt from her dirty thoughts. “Maybe you should leave. I think there’s nothing else we need to discuss here.”
"What’s between you and Master?" Maxime interrogated Alexa.“H-huh? Hmm… Nothing.” Alexa took a drink from her glass of water and finished the food Ethan cooked for her.“And why does he have to cook for you? This is the first time I’ve seen the Master cooking in the kitchen… And it’s not just for anyone, but for you.” Maxime said cheekily.(cough... cough... ) Alexa choked on her water when Maxime teased her about Ethan.She was still trying to catch her breath when Ethan suddenly appeared, pushing Maxime sideways to replace her in patting Alexa’s back. Surprised, Maxime fell to the floor and hit her bum.“Are you okay? You should be more careful next time.” Ethan asked Alexa worriedly.Both women were stunned. “Uhm… I’m okay, don’t worry.” Alexa answered. She still couldn’t believe Ethan was very concerned with her wellbeing. ‘Last time I checked… You were happy seeing me in my misery… And now… why are you showing too much concern over me? Is it because I’m
Everyone is busy preparing for the big event. It’s just a simple gathering, where they invited only the closest family members.They set the beach for the most awaited day. The wedding is finally happening. There were Chiavari chairs on both sides of the aisle, lined with pink roses placed on tall vases, requested specifically by the bride. In the center, curtains framed the altar pulled over to both sides to give the illusion that one was looking out a window into the pristine beach beyond.The guests wore pastel colors as the theme for the event. Albert and Austin wore a champagne-colored suit with white long-sleeves, while Maxime wore a halter turquoise-colored infinity dress and her son, Lucas, was wearing a suit that matched his father’s outfit.Maxime and Austin would stand as the best man and maid of honor, while their son Lucas would be the ring bearer. For their preparation, Ethan occupied the house they bought from the Scotts, while Athena checked in the hotel nearby. They
Athena’s Point of ViewI thought that… I would never feel the love and freedom that I longed for. I never thought this day would come. When I was young, all I had were the books my mom brought me to learn how to read and write. I remembered the moment I asked her… why I couldn’t live like a normal child… couldn’t do normal things like going to school, making friends with other kids, playing with them on the playground, and going to the mall? She just answered that Dad wanted to protect us from the people outside who wanted nothing to do but hurt us. And I believed in what she said.Even though I felt like I was in a cage, and I even saw Andrew hurt my mom… I felt horrified. And when mom died, he became more terrifying. He locked me inside our house. He didn’t even allow me to go to the garden… much less roam around the house. Instead, he locked me in my room. I could only sneak out when he was not there. But my luck vanished when he found out about my escapades and killed my closest
It was a late night. Athena and Ethan just finished preparing for bed. They had fun, enjoying their festive dinner with their families inside their compound and talking about the wedding that was about to happen. It was the wedding they’d all been waiting for. After their dinner, they invited everyone to stay over. Albert, Austin, and his family were happy to stay for the night just to be with Athena, whom they missed the most.“Hey, aren’t you getting sleepy? Wear this, or you might get cold.” Ethan placed a shawl on her shoulders, which Athena gladly received. He hugged her from behind while staring at the stars in the sky. They were both standing on the balcony of their room, appreciating the beauty of the night. They had the full moon giving light to their surroundings and the sound of the icy wind that touched the leaves of the trees, making the trees dance to the rhythm of their natural music.Athena shook her head. “I can’t sleep,” she said, which made Ethan frown.“Why? Is th
“What if I leave the underground world? Will you be happy and choose to stay with me?” Athena turned her head and looked at Ethan while slowly walking towards her, reaching for her hand.“I love you so much, Athena. And if you want me to quit the Mafia, I’ll do it for you. I will never hesitate to leave my organization if that will make you feel safe and happy. I will do it because I can’t live without you. So, please… please be with me.” His eyes pleaded as he looked Athena directly in the eye. He was full of hope that Athena would come back to him. “But the Mafia is like a family to you. Are you really abandoning them? How can you say that? Besides, you are popular in the underground world. Everyone knows you are their king.” Athena stated.Ethan walked closer, making her step backward until he cornered her on the wall. “I have my second in command. He will stay and guide the Mafia. I know he won’t leave the troops.” Ethan reached for her hand and pinned it to the wall.“Now, I wil
Ethan and Austin landed safely at the hotel they were checking in. Luckily, they had a helipad where he could land his chopper. Only both of them came without any troops as they knew the place was safe. Before Ethan and Austin came to the island, where Athena was hiding, Ethan called the couple, Marcia and Theodore, who saved her to inform them that they were coming to bring Athena back to the city. When they met, the couple was hesitant, because Athena asked them not to tell anyone she was hiding. But they also understood that her family was worried about her, so thecouple welcomed them and led the way to the resort.It was a private resort that only the people who owned properties were allowed to enter. From the highway, there was a narrow road that permitted one car to enter at a time. This area was hidden and surrounded by coconut trees. The entrance to their property had a bright red gate that was so huge you could not see what was inside. Plants and flowers dotted the path lea
EthanEthan was drinking whiskey while sitting in the kitchen. He was about to drink his next glass when Austin appeared and took the drink from him.“It’s not the time to drink, Ethan.” He said sternly.“What do you want me to do, then? Athena is still missing, and I don’t have any idea where the fuck they brought my pregnant wife--” Ethan couldn't finish what he was about to say when Austin stopped him from talking.“She called,” Austin said.“What?”“Athena called. She said that she’s fine and safe.”“Where is she?” Ethan grabbed Austin’s collar and pulled him closer. “When did she call? Why didn’t you call me? What did she say?” Austin shook his head as he looked at Ethan in his drunken state.Austin knew how hard it was for Ethan to lose her, and even when he was badly injured, he never stopped worrying and looking for Athena. Every single day that she was missing, Austin witnessed how Ethan used his connections to find her. But now that Athena called them and said she didn’t wan
AthenaAthena woke up hearing unfamiliar voices quarreling near her. When she opened her eyes, she immediately covered her body with the quilt, protecting her belly from the strangers in front of her. She looked at them and figured they were a couple whose ages ranged in their late 50s. Then she looked around and noticed that she was in an unfamiliar place. The house was made of wood, bamboo, and nipa leaves. It was a small and quaint house, but it was cozy. She was sitting in a bed that was very comfortable. It felt like her own bed at home. She looked at herself and noticed she was wearing different clothes.“Who are you? Where am I?” she asked.The lady’s eyes softened while looking at her pitifully. She shook her hand. “Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you. You are in our house because we found your unconscious body on the shore. At first, we thought you were dead, but thankfully, you were alive. So, we decided to bring you here to treat the wound on your head,” she explained.“How long
Ina bit her lower lip as she looked at Ethan seductively. “Sure… Anything for you, my love.”“Master!” One of his men called out. He just came out of Max’s cell. “The subject is dead,” He added in a whisper. His voice was so low that only Ethan could hear him. Ina frowned in confusion. He nodded and said he should go ahead and would follow behind him. “I’ll be back,” Ethan said to Ina before leaving and going back to Max’s cell.Ina glared at the person who called at Ethan. ‘Tss... Damn this guy! What did he have to call Ethan for?! He just wasted my opportunity to escape from this stinky cell… I hope Ethan will come back,’ she thought.Ina waited patiently until she heard her cell door open again. It was Ethan and a bunch of his troops who entered. Ethan ordered them to remove the chain from Ina’s cell, making her smile victoriously.Then they laid down a case that was filled with various tools. Ina frowned. There were pliers, needles, small knives, scissors, a container with a whit
“Give me good news. Have you found Athena?” Ethan asked the private investigator and his men about the progress of finding Athena.“Sir, we traced her using the tracking device you put on her engagement ring and found the location.” One of his men answered.“And where is it?” Ethan asked. The private investigator gave him the engagement ring.“We found it on the same island where they kept Athena, she must have dropped it. We’ve also searched the area and only saw these torn clothing.” The investigator gave him pieces of torn fragments they thought came from Athena’s gown.“We found this in the trash bin. According to the pattern, I think they chopped it on purpose.” One of his men said.“Maybe she was thrown to the sea–” The investigator was about to deliver his conclusion when a wine glass flew above his head. It was supposed to hit him, but luckily he had fast reflexes and bowed down just in time to evade the flying glass.“GET OUT OF MY OFFICE NOW!” Ethan’s voice roared, which mad