He walked around the bar, which was beaming with loud music and dim blue light, but couldn't find her anywhere. At some point, he contemplated going back home and telling Ivy that he couldn't find Gina, but the thought of her reaction alone scared him. After a futile attempt to find her, he decided to go outside the club in search of her. Upon getting outside the club, he heard a familiar voice that made him stop to have a look. His eyes were caught with Gina, who was lying on the garden bench."Why are you still here? You should be home by now," Gina asked drowsily as she struggled to take off her scoat."What are you doing here?" he asked tiredly as he heaved a sigh of relief upon finding her."I want to have some sleep, get lost," Gina mumbled, finally taking off her coat."You can't sleep here; let's go back home," he requested even though he knew it was all a waste of time as she was already drunk and wouldn't respond."You're not the boss of me; I can sleep wherever I want," Gin
"Did I say something wrong? Why is she overreacting?" Ralph asked Ivy, his voice laced with confusion. Ivy couldn't hide her disappointment as she glared at him."Of course you did!" she exclaimed, visibly offended. "You need to apologize.""You know I can't do that," he replied flatly.Ivy's patience snapped. "I'm not giving you a choice," she yelled, her voice shaking with frustration.“please don’t raise your voice on me” he answered with a blunt expression“else what? you would give me a time out?” ivy stated intentionally getting on his nerves “i have never forced you to do anything you didn’t want to do, but i guess i would have to force you for the very first time. You are the reason why she hadn’t eaten anything since the beginning of today, and you obviously just ruined her day. I would give you an option; you can either go upstairs and apologize or…….“I’m not apologizing” he interrupted“or make her dinner right now” ivy completed her statement anyway. He was quiet for a wh
She huddled behind a tree for coverage as her heart began racing really fast. Gina was still hiding behind the tree as she tried to nurse her injury when she felt water droplets on her head. She looked up, and her eyes were met with sharp fangs over her head and the face of an angry werewolf with dark eyes. She got a panic attack merely seeing its face. She placed both hands over her head to shield herself as she waited for the angry animal to devour her, but a black werewolf came out of nowhere, pushing the brown werewolf away from her and throwing it off its feet. Gina peered at them behind the tree as she watched the two werewolves fight to the death. The black werewolf turned out to be a lot stronger than the brown werewolf as it pinned its head against the soil but suddenly let go, leaving it to escape into the woods. The black werewolf stood from a distance as it stared at Gina, who was too shocked to think of running. She hid behind the tree, covering her face with her palm as
“What was buried here?” the voice of the corps could be heard from the garden. Gina felt her entire system reverberate in fear. They found the grave; she was definitely going to prison. She was still in the sitting room when Ralph walked out; she also followed him immediately as she began thinking of the perfect explanation.“What is there shouldn’t be your business. Don’t you think you’re overstepping your boundaries?” Ralph asked upon joining them in the garden. He looked so relaxed as he spoke to the corps like he didn’t just bury three men right there a few days ago.“No, we have a search warrant,” one of the corps said, flashing a piece of paper. “We would like to know what is inside. We’d like to open it,” the corps said.“Something was buried inside a few days ago; it might smell really bad if you open it. Are you sure you want to do that?” Ralph asked, while Gina stepped on his foot to stop him from talking.“That wouldn’t be necessary,” Gina started. “It is—”“Why wouldn’t it
Gina's breath hitched, her eyes searching his face for a glimpse of emotion. But all she found was a flicker, a fleeting warmth hidden beneath the cold exterior.The spell was broken as Ralph gently released his hold, allowing Gina to regain her balance. His features reverted to their impassive state, as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.Gina, her heart still racing, offered a small understanding smile. She didn't need words to convey her gratitude for his support. She knew that beneath his icy facade, he had shown a rare vulnerability.“that was an epic fail” ralph muttered breaking the awkward silence, with his left hand still resting on her waist slightly and his eyes fixed on her. Gina’s eyes darted towards a young couple who seemed so engrossed in the dance, probably being too extra as they were dancing and spinning each other with every ounce of strength in them. The man pulled the lady in a romantic way which came out a bit too aggressive to be called “romantic” an
Ralph stormed into the lady's restroom in search of Gina. He opened each door but couldn't find her anywhere. He had been searching everywhere for her, but it seemed like Boris might have found her first. Ralph ran his hand through his thick hair, trying to control his anger. He stood in front of the mirror as he tried relaxing his mind so he could think of what to do next. Nobody was stopping him from leaving, but for some reason, he couldn't leave without her. As he stood in front of the mirror trying to clear his mind, a cleaner stepped in."Sir, you can't be here. This is the ladies' room," the young lady said as she placed her mop bucket down and took off her gloves."Where's Boris?" Ralph asked, still facing the mirror."The CEO should be in his office. He's probably exhausted after welcoming various guests," the lady answered with a smile. Ralph turned around to face her."Take me to him," Ralph demanded. The lady stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter."You m
"I want this," Zayn whined, pointing at a pair of white Jordans inside a glass display case.Gina walked over to the display case to check the price tag. A silent gasp escaped her lips when she saw the price – $20,000 for a pair of ordinary kids' sneakers. She took a few steps back towards Ivy and whispered to her, "Are you sure about this store? Everything is crazily expensive here. Maybe we should go somewhere else where they sell affordable items.""Don't tell me you already feel sorry for him? Don't worry, he can definitely pay for everything. Besides, it is only a few thousand dollars. Our shopping target is $500,000 or...," Ivy replied with a wink."Wait, what!? $500,000? Are you serious right now? That's a lot. How do you expect me to pick items that cost so much?" Gina whispered in shock."What do you think I meant when I said 'you're going to be leaving him bankrupt'? Besides, the debit card has no limit, so step aside, chicken!" Ivy said with an eye roll as she made her way
The following morning, the sun cast its golden rays through the curtains of Gina's bedroom, signalling the start of a new day. Gina stretched lazily in her bed, her mind still filled with fragments of the previous night's events. The kiss with Ralph replayed in her thoughts, leaving her feeling a mixture of excitement and unease. As she rose from her bed, she couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation every time she walked past Ralph, as if an invisible force had suddenly magnified their shared space.The atmosphere in the apartment felt different, charged with unspoken tension that hung in the air. Gina tiptoed through the hallway, trying to avoid any unnecessary contact with Ralph. She busied herself in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for herself and their son. The clattering of dishes filled the silence, providing her with a temporary distraction from her swirling thoughts.Ralph entered the kitchen, his presence immediately felt. Gina's heart skipped a beat, and she pretended to
A scream tore from Ralph's throat as Gina toppled over the edge. But before gravity claimed her, a strong grip clamped onto her wrist. Boris, eyes wide with shock, had lunged forward, snatching her back from the abyss. He dragged her back onto the rooftop, her heart hammering against her ribs; she couldn’t believe she just saw her life flash before her eyes in a second. Gina sat sprawled on the concrete, gasping for breath, the world tilting around her.Ralph’s face held a mixture of shock and relief as he stared at her for a while. Silence stretched for a lifetime, finally broken by Boris's gravelly voice. "Where's the staff?" he rasped, eyes narrowed at Gina. His grip on her wrist had loosened, but the question held her pinned where she sat. Gina, still panting for breath, looked up at him with a shaky smile. "I think I dropped it," she admitted, embarrassment creeping up her face.Before Boris could respond, a gruff voice cut through the stillness. Ralph, pushing past Boris with a
“He’s gone to get the staff from Boris; after this, he’ll leave for good,” Ivy announced, making Gina’s heart drop.“Where is he now? I need to find him,” Gina said as she got up immediately.“I’m not trying to stop you, but you can’t just go out there without a plan. It’s dangerous out there,” Ivy warned. Gina walked towards her and held her hands in hers.“Ivy, please tell me where he is. That is all I ask. I promise that I won’t try to stop him from leaving; I just want to have a last talk with him,” Gina pleaded, which was only a lie. There was no way she would let Ralph sacrifice himself just for her to live. Even though she didn’t have a plan yet, she was sure she would come up with an idea, whether smart or a dumb one. She was more focused on the end result, which was stopping him from leaving. She held Ivy’s hands, silently hoping that would be enough to convince her.“I don’t know, Gina. Ralph would be really mad at me if you get hurt,” Ivy said, trying to pull her hands out
“i’ll follow the rules. I will have to look for a way to get rid of you and take zayn with me,” Ralph said as he stared at her, as though waiting for her reaction.Gina stared at him for a while, her expression almost comical. Shock and disappointment were etched on her face as she did. “Uhmm… I see,” Gina finally let out, her shock still evident. Ralph stared on silently, his eyes pinned on her face. And then slowly, a small smile appeared on his lips.“I was only messing with you, silly. Don’t tell me you fell for that?” Ralph asked with a smile as he playfully pinched the tip of her nose.The playful pinch to her nose sent a spark of laughter dancing in Gina's eyes, dispelling the shock that had momentarily settled there. Relief flooded her in a warm wave, replacing the tensed look on her face.“Don’t ever make such a joke with me again; that wasn’t funny,” Gina said with a smile, playfully hitting his chest."Don’t tell me you actually believed that I’ll choose anything over you?"
As Gina paced around the room, her mind filled with worry and panic, Ralph, seated in a corner of the room, watched Gina pace with an understanding but pensive gaze. He could sense her worry and panic; the staff wasn’t some random object that someone like Boris could have in his possession. An object like that could destroy the entire world in a second with just a little effort."It's okay, I'll get the staff back, I promise," Ralph said, reaching out to gently hold her in place, his eyes reflecting a sincerity that only seemed to agitate Gina further."You say it's okay? Do you realize what's at stake here? That staff is not just some random object, Ralph! How could you even think of trading something that holds the safety of the entire world just to save one person!? Was it even worth it?" Gina said, almost yelling.Ralph held her gaze for a while, as though at a loss for words, but he answered, “You are not just ‘one person,’ Gina. You and Zayn are my only priorities. I’m going to
Back on the beach, Ralph's worry deepened as the minutes stretched into an eternity. After about 15 minutes of waiting without any trace of her, he decided to go to the female’s restroom in search of her even though he knew it wasn’t right. Upon entering the restroom, it was eerily quiet, the only sound was the distant crash of waves against the shore. Panic clutched at his chest as he scanned the vacant room, finding only her abandoned phone on the floor, its screen shattered. His heart pounded as he picked it up, a premonition of impending trouble settling over him. Confusion and fear intertwined as he stared at the broken screen, contemplating his next move. Before he could gather his thoughts, a new message flashed across the damaged display. Unknown Number: you really thought you could protect her, didn’t you? A chill ran down his spine as he read the text, trembling hands gripping her damaged phone tightly, anger welling up within him. Frustration boiled over, and he couldn't c
A surprised smile touched Gina's lips. It wasn't the question she had expected. She glanced at Ralph, a mix of shock and amusement as she stared. “So, where are we going” gina asked with a smile Ralph smiled, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "you once mentioned that you wanted to go to a beach” Gina's eyes sparkled with surprise and delight. "A beach? That would be amazing." She said with a blush as she bites her lips in attempt to contain her smile. But he walked up to her, took her hands and pulled her into a warm embrace. “i want us to make the best of the little time we have together” he said stroking her hair gently while gina nodded with a tight smile even though he clearly couldn’t see her nod as her head was resting against his chest. The Next Day the sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a warm glow on the sandy shores of the beach. The rhythmic sounds of waves crashing against the shore created a soothing melody as Gina and Ralph strolled hand in hand along the water
Gina stared on for a while with a blank expression, him getting the staff only meant one thing; that was the end of the road for both of them, he was definitely leaving and they would probably never see again.“are you okay?” he whispered, bringing her out of her thoughtsGina forced a smile as she answered “yes. I—uhm, i’m glad you finally got it”He remained quiet, staring at her, trying to figure out what really was going on in her head.“so, when are you leaving?” gina asked“as soon as i’m able to get a hold of boris, i can’t leave him roaming around here because he is a threat to your safety” he answered, still staring at her trying to read her expression“okay, that’s great!” she said, ones again with a fake smile“that’s the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. You can tell me what’s on your mind” he asked after failing to figure out what she was thinking.“your hand, it needs to be treated” gina said taking the bandage and a pair of scissors while ralph watched quietly as she gently
“i’m sorry about how i’ve been treating you lately, i was just annoyed that i have dragged you into my own mess. If i hadn’t gotten you involved in the first place, then boris wouldn’t have seen you as an easy target and a way to get to me” ralph said, changing the topic“what do you mean?” gina asked“boris is out in search of you, i think he’s trying to use you as a bait to stop me from collecting the staff” ralph answeredGina fell into a deep silence, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions she couldn't put into words. Just as the silence became almost unbearable, her phone beeped loudly, jolting her from her thoughts. It was a phone call from Natalie. Gina hesitated for a moment, then decided not to answer it. She swiped up her phone to text her friend instead.As she unlocked her phone, she found series of frantic texts from Natalie. "Are you there?" "Hang on, the police are on their way."Gina's heart pounded in her chest. The reality of their situation hit her like a bolt
Ralph had returned home. Anxiety had gnawed at his ride back home, making it impossible to focus on anything other than Gina's safety. When he found her missing from the house, he had hurried to Ivy, a mixture of panic and anger coursing through him."Where's Gina?" Ralph demanded, his voice strained with worry and irritation.Ivy turned to him, her expression a mix of shock and confusion. "She went out, Ralph. She's with her friend, Natalie."Ralph's eyes flared with anger. "Why would you let her go out after all i told you?" His voice held a note of accusation.Ivy sighed, her patience wearing thin. "I suggested she reconsider, but she insisted. Besides, if you hadn't been avoiding her or if you had at least told her what was going on, maybe it would have made sense."Frustration welled up within Ralph as he realized the consequences of his recent behaviour. He didn't have time to explain himself to Ivy. He needed to find gina before boris finds her first. He snatched Ivy's phone fr