[AUSTRALIA… morning]"What is wrong, Dylan?" Jolene asked Dylan, who had stopped drawing."Huh?""You've been acting strange. You're not talking like you used to. Is something bothering you?"Dylan stared at her for a while before asking, "Is Mom coming back?""Yes. Yes, of course she is coming back. She promised to return before your birthday; she'll definitely return." Jolene smiled, but Dylan didn't."I had a nightmare, and it scared me. Will she be back?"This time, Jolene's breath hitched, and she became speechless. She recalled how Tatiana had asked her to console Dylan in such situations.She smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "She'll definitely come back. She is safe and sound, okay?"Dylan nodded and continued, "What about Father?""You miss him?" Jolene asked, and Dylan nodded."Let's give him a call, alright?"Dylan grinned and shifted closer to Jolene.Meanwhile, Aurora was watching from the shadows. She went back to her bedroom and stood by her window, overlooking the cit
"Hello, my wonderful daughters. Did you miss me?"Wonderful daughters?Miss him?Is he fucking serious right now?The three gazed at him in disbelief, disgust, and anger. This was the man who had made them go through hell and sat by, watching.The burn scar on the right side of his face that disfigured him made the girls wonder where he got it. They couldn't deny the fact that the man looked even scarier than he did years ago."That was quite a holiday for you three, wasn't it?" Maximus grinned as he stepped closer, his gaze unreadable."Where's my baby?!" Issabella, who was behind her older sisters, spoke first.Maximus looked at her. "My granddaughter is fine, sweetie. I'm not going to hurt her.""Give her back! She is not your granddaughter!" Issabella spat."And you don't know her father," Maximus mocked with a gentle laugh."Haven't you done enough?" Maya spoke this time. She was at the front, Tatiana was behind her, trying to manage herself, and Issabella's eyes welled up with t
Cassius held the rifle tightly before him. His feet moved frantically across the room as his breath became shaky."Your wife is in Spain."Spain? Without telling him? His anger was evident on his face as he stared into space.He could only imagine the hell that would break loose if his wife got hurt. Why? Why did she have to go on that dangerous mission without telling him?His head was spinning with anxiety and anger.He was also in Spain, though in the northern part where Valentino's clan was located. He badly wanted to take his men and go find her, but he had to wait until he knew where to find her."Take it easy, bestie. You don't want to have a heart attack before you find her," Valentino spoke. He was sitting in the corner of the room with his two huge dire wolves beside him, feeding them meat.Cassius was surprised when he saw that Valentino's pets were two dire wolves.Who the heck keeps dire wolves as pets?!There used to be three. Valentino mentioned the last one died while
HOURS AGO"Mr. King did it."Tatiana's face paled. Cassius caused the scar? That was the last name she expected him to mention."It was the scariest moment of my life. Trapped in the car with none of the functions working, nowhere to run, no one to call. He caught me at the perfect time for his scheme. My heart was racing like crazy as I stared at the endless quiet road in the dark. The car collided with a hard surface and caught fire. The pain, the screams, and the dying thoughts rushed over me like waves... I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I wanted was to see daylight again," Maximus explained as he recalled the moment.Tatiana chuckled and sneered hatefully. "You deserve every moment of it. I'm quite disappointed he didn't make sure you burned alive. You caused his mother's accident; she went into a coma because of you!"Maximus slowly rested his back on the wall and seemed to think for a moment. "That wasn't the only reason."Tatiana frowned.He continued. "Do you even kn
PRESENTAfter narrating, Maximus burst into laughter, his voice echoing around the room."Who would have thought the dumbass would end up marrying my daughter?" An evil grin spread across his lips.Tatiana's mind was blank. Cassius had his first kill at thirteen?! That was a blow.She had witnessed Cassius's rough side before—the day he almost killed Zero with his bare hands and how he had tortured Nathan."You're not after me, you're after him," Tatiana said, finally understanding Maximus's intention."Good girl.""What made you like this?" she asked in a whisper."The world," he replied."The world? What the heck do you want?" She asked the question that had been bothering her."Power. All I ever wanted was power. I want every man and woman to shrink in fear whenever they hear my name," Maximus smirked."You're a psycho. Why do you want power so badly that you'd use your own daughter?" Tatiana’s eyes welled up."You've felt it too, Tatiana. In no time, you won the Best Actress award
[AUSTRALIA]Hudson sighed, resting his head on the shiny black chair. His head pounded as if it might split at any moment.Ever since Cassius left, he had been the one handling the company work. It wasn’t easy, but he was glad he could use it to distract himself.He had been avoiding Indigo and burying himself in work.A text came through on his phone, and as his gaze fell on it, he saw Indigo’s message.~Hey, how are you doing?~ she texted.He sighed and replied that he was fine. As he put his phone down, it rang with her call.For the first time in many days, he picked up.“H... Hudson?” She stuttered on the other end, seemingly not expecting him to answer.“Hey, Dee. How are you?” he asked.“I... I... am fine... you?” she stammered again.“I’m good.” The words sounded like a lie to his own ears.“You sound tired. Are you okay?”“Yeah, I’ve been busy. With Cash not around, my workload tripled. I just have a slight headache right now.”“Have you eaten lunch?”“No.”“What? It’s almost
Salome gazed at her little sister, who lit her cigarette. She let out a painful moan, enduring the agony that coursed through her."Are you really going to leave your sister like this? Your father? Your family? Are you going to betray them like this?" Salome asked as Stacy blew out smoke from her pink lips."Family?" Stacy scoffed. "Oh, please, don't make me laugh.""I'm serious. Look, I know we've wronged you, but you can't just sell us out like this. You told the enemy how to capture us... You...""God, you're so loud. I was asked to check on you. Can you do me a favor and keep your mouth shut?" Stacy said."Stacy, we're your family...""Oh, please, can you just shut up?" Stacy groaned."I know we hate each other, but you've gone too far by betraying the whole family. Your family.""My family?!" Stacy snapped, standing up. Her gaze was cold as she approached Salome. "Father threw me out on the street. I couldn't get a job because he made things difficult for me here in Spain. And th
Tatiana opened her mouth slightly to take the food from Cassius. He had been awfully quiet since she woke up and helped her bathe.His answers were just 'Yes' or 'No.' He gave her everything she needed, and now he was feeding her. Though his gaze was calm, she could tell he was angry.She had almost lost her life, and she never told Cassius about her mission. Waves of guilt crashed over her every second."Cash," she called softly to the man who was busy cutting her steak."Hm?" he responded without looking at her."A-are you mad at me?" Tatiana knew the question was stupid. Of course, he was mad at her.Cassius paused for a moment before continuing."I found Isabella alive."He paused again, this time looking up at her with wide eyes. The shock was evident in his expression, and he looked a bit confused."I found her in the brothel. She was waiting for me the whole time—with a baby." Tatiana clenched her jaw, trying to hold back tears. "I hate myself for not telling you, and I hate my
[Four years later]Issabella spun around to look at the women in the room. "How do I look?" Nervousness was evident in her voice. She was wearing a professional outfit, her hair tied into a bun, with light makeup accentuating her beauty."Fantastic!" Tatiana responded. "You're really made for this.""President Issabella, right on track!" Jolene exclaimed, a ring glittering on her finger. She had married Jaxon last year. In her arms was little Elsa, dressed in a blue fluffy dress."Gosh, I feel nervous," Issabella exhaled, fanning herself several times."You're fine," Tatiana approached and adjusted her shirt.Jolene added, "Just be yourself.""Are you okay with this? I mean, you've been handling it for a year now..." Issabella asked Tatiana."With you by my side. You're way more capable than you think. Besides, handling it with my career is stressful," Tatiana said."Especially when Tatie won the Best Actress Award three times in a row," Jolene added."Drama queen," Tatiana mumbled."
Cassius's face paled, mirroring the expressions of the others. Jaxon choked on his drink before bursting into laughter. The others joined in, and the room erupted with laughter.After they finished eating, they all headed to the park. Cassius decided to buy the entire place for his son and wife.Jaxon stood at a distance, watching Tatiana, Cassius, and Dylan riding the carousel. Aurora stood beside him, also watching."A wonderful sight, isn't it?" she sighed. "For a fleeting moment, I thought I'd never see this. Silly me."Jaxon put his arm around her shoulder. "You'll get to see this every day." He then recalled what Cassius had said about Silence and Aurora not wanting to meet each other.He knew it was for the best, but his heart ached knowing Aurora never experienced true love... or maybe she did.She cared for her family more than anything. The smile on her face and the happiness glittering in her eyes were priceless."Aren't you going to ride with them?" Jaxon asked Jolene, who
Meanwhile, Rafael glanced at the man seated beside him with his eyes closed. He was now so used to his cold aura. "You're not going to see her? I mean, Mr. King's mother?" he asked. "I'm not going to meet her." "Why not?" Rafael asked, curious. "Can you keep your mouth shut? I'm trying to meditate here." "Says the man who used me. I'm still mad at you, you know... But weirdly, I'm glad you found me," Rafael mumbled. "So what are you going to do with me?" "Your choice. Either you stay and get the hell out of my way, or you come with me and become like me," Silence said curtly, standing to leave. He had gone far when Rafael ran to walk beside him. "You called me your apprentice. I'm going to stay that way. My place is with you," Rafael responded, and the man shot him a glare. "You wanna die? 'Cause I'm damn sure you won't last a week." Rafael laughed confidently. "Try me." Silence's lips curled up. "Fine then," he muttered, continuing to walk with Rafael beside him. "What are
Cassius gazed down at Silence, his father, his emotions in turmoil as he recalled how he had stormed into Silence's room, eyes blazing."You're helping me," he said, and Silence turned to give him a questioning look. "Helping? And what makes you think that?""Rafael told me everything. How you made him turn against his family, causing their death. You hate the Wallingtons," Cassius said, and Silence simply returned his gaze to the sky he was looking at."If you want me to hate, then just say so instead of acting like a fucking asshole."Silence shut his eyes and sighed. "You're one stubborn son of a bitch. I'll be done and gone soon. So if you're going to throw a tantrum, do it later.""Why didn't you ever show up?" Cassius persisted. He wanted to get the answer out of this man at all costs. At least he knew something-Silence wasn't an enemy."I clearly recall telling you not to bother knowing who I am.""Well, sorry, Dad... I'm going to trouble you until you spill the shit," Cassius
Horror flashed across their faces as they exchanged glances."Is this a joke?" The middle-aged man on the right slammed his hand on the desk."Do I look like a comedian?" Tatiana asked in a calm tone, her aura composed. She looked up at the guard standing behind her."Do I?" she asked him."No, ma'am," he responded."I didn't think so, so no, it's not a joke... Oh," she gasped slightly. "Maybe because I didn't explain it well." Her face suddenly turned cold, and the shareholders wondered if she was the same calm woman they had seen seconds ago.She leaned down, resting her elbows on the desk, her chin on her knuckles. "This company has been in the hands of trash-people who use innocent lives for their selfish interests. I'm here to take out that trash, starting with you."Another man stood up and roared. "You wench! Do you even realize what you're saying?! This company would collapse without us. We are the backbone of this place!""Oh really? Let's test that, shall we? I'll prove to y
"Uncle Conrad," Dylan called as he accompanied Butler Conrad in the kitchen."Yes, Dylan," Conrad answered, his voice calm."Don't you think it's wrong not to tell my parents about good Grandpa? My mother will be so mad at me once she finds out," the boy said, his tiny legs swinging as he sat on the stool."They'll find out about him soon. You don't want to spoil the surprise, do you?" Butler Conrad asked, and Dylan sighed."I don't know. Strange things are happening lately. Mom, Dad, Grandma, and everyone are so busy. I haven't seen Aunt Jojo since she left that night. A bad grandpa plans to hurt my parents, and my birthday is coming up. School's started, and I haven't gone yet." Dylan paused to catch his breath."I just hope they're okay and everything gets back to normal.""Stop worrying, kiddo," Butler Conrad said softly, glancing over his shoulder. "You'll see them soon enough.""Alright, if you say so," Dylan nodded.___'If that motherfucker turns out to be an enemy, we'll all
Hudson advanced towards Tristan. "I've been waiting for this my whole life," he said, shoving the poison into Tristan's neck. Tristan gasped as the guards released him to the floor. Tatiana watched as Tristan struggled for his life, screaming in terror, wishing the pain would end soon. She recalled how the agony had driven her to madness... but the poison used on Tristan was even more painful than what had been inflicted on her. "Make it stop!!! Arghhh!!!" Tristan's screams echoed through the room, the veins in his face and neck bulging, his eyes changing color as blood spilled from his mouth. His hand reached out, trying to grasp Tatiana's dress, begging for the antidote. "Please... Argh!!!" For the pain he had caused her loved ones, especially Issabella, who had once seen him as a father figure. For the trauma he had inflicted on so many. Tristan deserved every ounce of the pain ravaging him at this moment. He deserved ten times more. Several minutes passed, and Tristan's movem
Cassius gritted his teeth. "I'm going to destroy Maximus and his empire... And if you get in my way, I'll destroy you... Until my last breath."As the men spoke, Rafael remained silent. Mr. King was also terrifying, his aura menacing. No wonder he's Silence's son.If you look closely, they share a striking resemblance.Silence sighed. "Chatting with my grandson was way more fun than chatting with you."Grandson? Wait! Dylan?!"When did you speak to my son?" Cassius asked, a deadly warning lacing his voice."Let's just put it this way..." Silence paused and chuckled. "Your butler, Conrad. He works for me."Cassius's eyes widened.-[SPAIN]"¿Estás seguro? (Are you sure?) You've heard what the man has done and seen the traces, and yet you're going to face him? Val, my world, I... I can't lose you," Maria panicked over the phone as she paced around the room, fidgeting with her dress."My Donna, I told you not to worry. Since Silence is Cassius's father, there's a probability he might not
"I killed Leonard... I really killed my brother without a second thought... I pulled the trigger... He wasn't going to kill me, but I did it anyway... Or maybe he was going to kill me... I'm a murderer... I'm a fucking murderer who killed his own brother in cold blood... I killed someone---"Rafael panicked, running his hands through his hair, pulling at it. He was losing his mind over Leonard's death-because of him. The scene of pulling the trigger, Leonard falling with blood spilling from his chest, Leonard whispering that he didn't want to die, and taking his last breath-played on repeat in his head."I killed him... I'm a fucking murderer," he whispered again, fidgeting in his seat and pulling his hair harder. "I fucking killed him! I killed him!" he yelled, standing up and punching the wall."I killed him!" he screamed again, punching the wall over and over until his fists started to bleed, staining the floor.The door opened, and he abruptly stopped."What the heck are you doing