[Alexander]“How did it go?”When I enter the Bane mansion, half of the room is submerged in deep, dark shadows. But there’s no mistaking to whom the voice belongs. I have grown up hearing that voice. I have stayed awake at night, listening to her cry under the covers.“Mother,” I say, turning to face the direction from which the voice seems to be coming. It makes sense for her to sit in the darkness and keep an eye on the door, waiting for someone to return who might never come. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping by now? Staying awake this late can’t be good for your health.”Something clicks in the darkness, and a small lamp glows next to her. She sits on her burgundy couch like always, her eyes on the only person present in the room besides her.“You know what’s actually good for my health?” she asks, and I wish I could tell you I didn’t know what she was about to say. “To know that you did the one job I gave you. Yes or no, Xan. Did you do it?”I purse my lips and walk toward her. She foll
[Vivienne]After lunch, we pretty much talked about our new business venture.Rosita comes up with some really good ideas, while I do my best to contribute my own, and together we create a sort of presentation—just for us. It was mostly Rosita’s idea; she said it helped her envision things better. Well, who was I to complain? I played along, obviously.When we finally take a break, I’m surprised to see the sun is almost down.Rosita yawns next to me. “God, I’m tired. I think I need a nap before I can drive again.”“Are you sure you’re up for it? I can ask Marcus to drop you home if that helps.”“Really?” Her eyes widen slightly, clearly relieved. “That would be so cool. I won’t say no.”I chuckle at her expression. “Lie down for a while, I’ll make us some tea.”“Thank you, babe,” she says, already closing her eyes as she slumps back on the couch, curling up with one of the cushions between her thighs. “You’re the best.”I shake my head and walk into the kitchen, making tea.I take out
[Vivienne]The man is gone before I can do anything.I rush back inside and wake Rosita up. She rubs her eyes, clearly not in the mood to be roused like there’s some disaster coming up. “What’s up? I thought Marcus was dropping me home?”“He will. But I need you to get up and listen.”She blinks rapidly at that, probably because I sound like I’m either about to pass out or burn something down. “What’s happening? Why are you so worked up?”“I don’t even know,” I say, pacing in front of her. “But I’m pretty sure I just caught someone taking pictures of me on the balcony.”“What?” Her eyes widen. “The hell?” And just like that, she’s fully awake. “Are you sure? How do you know it was you? Maybe it was—”“He drove away as soon as I caught him.”“Oh,” she nods slowly. “Well, that’s definitely suspicious. What do we do about it?”“I have an idea,” I stop, turning to face her. “But I’m not sure if it’ll work.”“Oh, babe, I’m in.”“You don’t even know what I’m about to say.”“Hey, I trust you
[Vivienne]Inside, the place is dimly lit, with groups of people scattered around. The air is thick with smoke and the scent of cheap alcohol.I scan the room, spotting the bartender wiping down the counter, and a few rough-looking men in the back corner, laughing too loudly.Rosita tugs on my sleeve. “Are you sure about this?”“Not really, but we don’t have much choice. Something tells me if we straight-up went to them and asked for the feeds, they’ll throw us out before we get to make our case.”“Point,” she nods. “Fine then. Here I go. If I don’t make it back in one piece, please tell everyone I went down heroically.I roll my eyes. “You just need to chat them up, silly. You’re not going into a war.”“Yeah, keep saying that to yourself.”Then, she takes a deep breath, straightens her jacket, and strides toward the bar with the kind of confidence that makes me question her whole reaction outside.I hang back, my eyes still scanning the room, trying to keep a low profile.She leans o
[Vivienne]Shit. I stand quickly and turn, preparing to tell whatever lie comes to mind. But then I stop.It’s the same bartender Rosita was chatting with.In fact, now that I see behind him, Rosita is standing there, mouthing “sorry” and making a sad face.I hold back the urge to groan.The man continues to stare me down. Now that he’s no longer behind the counter, I can see he’s only a few inches shy of touching the ceiling in this small room. His shoulders are broad, and when he crosses his arms—probably to intimidate me further—his muscles seem to bulge out even more.I swallow. “Look. I can explain—” I start, but he cuts me off.“Save it for the boss,” he says, grabbing my arm and dragging me out.Rosita and I finally come face to face, and she gets her chance to apologize more audibly. “Sorry. I tried my best. But it’s like he could see right through me. Nothing I said worked.”“It’s alright. I knew this could happen.”“Really?” She tries to catch up. “So, what do we do now? Did
[Vivienne]Rosita and I follow the woman obediently.I mean, we could’ve tried to escape, but the idea seemed ridiculous. Where would we even run to? The bar was full of people who looked every bit as dangerous as you’d expect. Thinking they’d let us walk out without stopping us was laughable.Anyway, the woman leads us back to the bar, gestures for us to sit on the stools, and rounds the counter to stand across from us.Rosita and I exchange a glance, both of us clueless about what’s going on.The woman grabs two bottles of beer and slides them across the counter in front of us.Rosita is quick to take a sip, probably thirsty after that intense conversation she had with the bartender. Or maybe she’s just scared.I don’t touch mine. Instead, I look around the bar, watching people go about their day. Looks like they haven’t announced our little “crime” yet.“What’s wrong with her?” I hear the woman ask Rosita as she opens another beer.“Oh!” Rosita wipes her mouth with the back of her h
[Vivienne]I’m not sure I heard that right. “What?”The woman, who just introduced herself as Ruby, turns her gaze to Rosita. “Can you translate that for her, darling?”Rosita, who seems to be working on her third beer, nearly spits it right back into the bottle—something I’ve never seen her do before—and nods. “Yeah. Sure. What she’s trying to tell you, Viv, is that…”“I know what she’s saying.” God, what’s wrong with these people? Is this seriously how two strangers talk to each other? Or am I stuck in some weird dream I don’t even remember slipping into? Maybe they drugged me. Or worse.I turn to face Ruby. “What I don’t get is why you’re trying to help me. What’s in it for you?” There’s gotta be something. No one in this world does anything for free. Especially not something like this.“Joy. Satisfaction. You want more?”“So, you’re telling me you’re willing to help and don’t want anything in return?”Her eyes light up. “Exactly. It’s more like a public service. We help those who
[Vivienne]“Oh my God, this is going to be so much fun!” Rosita giggles, cupping her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound, but it’s a failed attempt.I’m already regretting this. “I don’t feel like it’s going to be fun at all.”“Oh, come on, are you kidding me? We’re going to raid a man’s house and tape him to a chair. This is as fun as it gets! Man, I always wanted to do that to Micah. You remember that bastard who broke up with me for that slutty Victoria, right? Shit. I wish I’d met Ruby before. I could’ve used some sweet revenge myself. I would’ve loved to glue him to the toilet seat, ‘cause that’s what he fucking deserves.” She spits it all out in one breath, huffing afterward.I turn to look at this new version of Rosita I’ve never seen before. “Are you okay? What happened to ‘moving on is the best payback to your haters’ and all that?”Rosita waves a hand dismissively, her eyes gleaming with that drunken enthusiasm that’s starting to worry me. “Oh, come on, Viv. That was th
[Caden]“Benjamin! Wait!”I run after him, unsure of what caught his attention.But those tiny little legs prove to be faster than you’d expect.He disappears so quickly that I’m left baffled and anxious. “Benjamin!”The principal arrives with a rather composed gait, laughing softly. “That’s kids for you—too fast when you least expect it.”“I swear he never does that,” I say, shaking my head and running a hand through my hair while still looking around. “He’s a good kid.”The principal chuckles. “All kids are good, Mr. Lawrence. They may be different from each other, yes, but good nonetheless.”I know what he means, but I don’t have time to get into the philosophy of it, and it irritates me even more that he doesn’t seem even a little concerned. I turn to face him. “How do you plan to find him?”“Oh, that’s easy,” he says, grinning as he takes out what looks like a walkie-talkie. “Bryn, a five-year-old boy, white shirt and blue shorts. Please report ASAP.”Not even ten seconds pass be
[Caden]“I don’t understand,” Astrid shakes her head, annoyance written all over her face. “What’s the need to even change his school? It was already one of the best from what I heard.”“One of the best,” I say as I adjust Benjamin’s shirt while he plays a game on his iPad. “Not the best.” And my son deserves the best, no questions asked.“Oh, please. What difference does that make? A school is a school, isn’t it? It shouldn’t be a concern right now, considering, well, he doesn’t really care about such things.”“Well, that’s what parents are here for, aren’t they?” I ask, shooting a brief glance her way and watching as she rolls her eyes. “To help them understand what’s best for them.”“Changing schools right now is just too much, that’s all I’m saying.”“And my son deserves the best there is, that’s all I am saying.”Astrid drops the argument after that, probably assured that I’m not changing my mind.And she’s absolutely right. When it comes to Benjamin, I will do whatever I can to
[Vivienne]The matter is finally closed.And no, we didn’t send Mr. Prescott to jail.Each of the businessmen gathered in the room showed rare sympathy for the old man and decided to forgive him, vowing never to mention this incident to anyone ever again.“Well, time to finally go home, I guess,” Andrew yawns next to me as we make our way out of the hotel, the morning sun warming my face in all the right places.“Can’t believe only a few hours ago it was raining like hell,” I say, looking around at the wet pavements, trees, and roads. Everything looks so green, so new, as if nature has majestically revamped itself.Andrew stretches, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, it’s like the storm never even happened. Kinda eerie when you think about it.”I nod, inhaling the crisp morning air, heavy with the scent of rain-soaked earth. The night had been a mess—secrets unraveling, accusations flying, and an old man breaking down under the weight of his own regrets. And yet, now, with the first golden rays
[Caden]Murmurs ripple through the room as the businessmen exchange glances. Some nod in agreement, while others look skeptical.Andrew perks up next. “That’s when we started asking the right questions. Who had access to the hotel’s power grid? Who stood to gain the most from tarnishing the reputation of such a prestigious establishment? Someone was clearly targeting it—because a simple robbery at a place like this? It was practically begging for trouble.”Vivienne allows the murmurs to settle before continuing. “Exactly. This wasn’t just a simple robbery—it was a calculated attack. Someone wanted to create chaos, to damage the hotel's reputation, and they nearly succeeded.”Andrew takes charge. “We looked into the security logs, the emergency generator records, and the maintenance reports. What we found was… interesting.”A businessman in the front row frowns. “Get to the point. Who was behind it?”Vivienne steps forward, her gaze cutting through the room with precision. “The blackou
[Caden]The next morning, when I wake up, I feel much better than I did after a night of tossing and turning.Bad dreams keep me awake as I do everything I can to shut them out.So, after barely two hours of proper sleep, I get up and open my eyes, only to realize I’m back to being my normal self again.I sigh. “This could have been so much worse.”I shake my head and get off the bed. Now that the storm has passed, it’s time to get ready and be on my way back home. Benjamin must be waiting for me like hell.An hour later, I’m already walking out of my room, my briefcase in hand, when the first person I bump into is my assistant herself.“Good morning, Mr. Lawrence,” she greets, easily reaching for my briefcase to help me carry it. I let her do it—not because it’s heavy for me or because I can’t, but because she always wants to.“So, how was your room? Did you sleep well?” I ask her as we make our way to the elevator.She chuckles nervously. “Yes. It was great. But you didn’t have to a
[Caden]I hear her footsteps as clear as day as she stomps over to the nightstand, pours me a glass of water, and, with all the irritation in the world, snaps, “Here you go.”I don’t know where to look or how to gauge the height of her hand, so I do what comes naturally. I reach up, feel the soft strands of her hair, and then guide myself accordingly. Once I find the hand extended toward me, I wrap my fingers around the glass, making contact with her hand in the process, and finally pull it toward myself.But of course, she mistakes my action for something… well, awful.I hear her sigh loudly. “Seriously?”I open the briefcase purely from memory, reach for the pocket that contains my medicine, and pop out one tablet. “What?”She scoffs. “Oh, I don’t know—maybe the fact that you just groped my hair like a creep?”I take a sip of water, chasing the tablet down my throat. “Groped? That’s a rather strong accusation.”“Then what the hell do you call it?”“I don’t know, I just wanted to see
[Vivienne]Somehow, we manage to get off the elevator, but I swear to God, Caden doesn’t make it any easier.He’s acting like his body can’t carry its own weight, forcing me to shoulder him instead.“Enough with the dead weight act, Caden. This is getting ridiculous!” I grumble under my breath, not at all comfortable existing so close to him.But Caden, as if suddenly deaf, pretends not to have heard anything at all.“What?” he asks, way too innocently. “Did you say something?”I suppress the loudest growl ready to erupt from my chest.Just a few minutes more, I tell myself—once we make it to his room, I’m going to throw him in and head straight to my room.Finally, after what feels like forever, we reach his door. I look up to face him. “Where’s your key?”“In my pocket.”I sigh in relief. “Great. Take it out.”He doesn’t move, doesn’t twitch, doesn’t even try.I frown. “Caden.”“What?”I exhale sharply, already feeling my patience wearing thin. “Take that stupid key out. Now!”“I ca
[Vivienne]A strange current passes through my spine at his rare grin.“Don’t ‘what the hell’ me, darling. You were the one who teased me first.”“Are you kidding me?” I growl. “Why would I tease you?”“How would I know?” He shrugs as if he’s actually clueless. “But I do know that you came close first.”“Coming close doesn’t mean I want you to pull me onto your lap.”“No,” he shakes his head. “But it also doesn’t mean you don’t.”I scoff, shifting to push myself off his lap, but his other hand moves to rest lightly on my waist, keeping me there. Not forcefully—just enough to make a point.“Caden.”“Vivienne,” he mirrors, annoying me so much more.“Let. Go.”“I don’t want to.”“You have to.”“And why’s that?”“Because I said so.”“Hmm.” He releases a thoughtful sound, tipping his head as if actually considering it. “Alright. If that’s what you want.” His hold on me loosens, and after a brief, reluctant second, his arms move away, giving me enough space to leave.“Thanks for nothing,” I
[Vivienne]“Alright. You can go. Send the next one,” I say to the fifth person we have investigated so far and watch as he nods too many times and leaves as quickly as he can.“For someone who claims to be innocent, these people sure know how to leave a contradictory impression,” Andrew mumbles as he scratches off another name from the list.Caden huffs out a quiet laugh, barely paying attention as he leans back in his chair. His fingers drum lightly against the table, a slow, rhythmic beat that does nothing to ease my growing frustration.“I swear,” I mutter, flipping through my notes, “if the next person doesn’t give us something concrete, I might actually lose it.”Andrew smirks but doesn’t comment, and Caden—well, he just keeps drumming his fingers, his gaze distant.I don’t know why, but suddenly, something about him feels off.For example, for the last few minutes, whenever I look at him, his gaze stays locked on the chair where the staff sits. Whenever they speak, he nods and k