The jarring ringtone sliced through the hazy afterglow, shattering the tranquil silence that had enveloped the couple tangled on the large plush bed.
Alex stirred, his brow furrowing as he reached blindly for the offending device. The seductive lithe form shifted beside him, the sheets tangling around her lissom curves as she blinked owlishly in the dim light filtering through the heavy drapes. "Speak!" Alex answered gruffly, his voice still roughened by exertion and the dregs of slumber. He stiffened almost imperceptibly when the voice on the other end relayed its message. "Very well. I'll be right down." Snapping the phone shut, he turned to find the woman watching him with undisguised curiosity. Her tousled chestnut locks framed her face in an enticing disarray, and the smudged remains of her deep crimson lipstick only enhanced the wicked allure dancing in her kohl-rimmed eyes. "That was Paul. My father has arrived at the manor." he supplied without any preamble. A muscle ticked in his chiseled jaw as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, already reaching for the clothes strewn carelessly across the plush marble floor. The female sat up. She clutched the sheet to her bosom and she regarded him with a practiced blend of nonchalance and intrigue. "Well, we shouldn't keep Daddy waiting. He'll want to hear all about our... achievements." she drawled, her full lips curving into an impish smile. A low chuckle rumbled from Alex's throat. His gaze raked over the tempting expanse of flesh left tantalizingly bare. "Down, girl. This summons was unscheduled. We'd best not make assumptions." he admonished without heat. Pushing to his feet, he cinched his navy robe and moved toward the door. "I'll handle this. Freshen up and make yourself presentable should I require your... particular expertise." With a parting smirk, he slipped from the room, the faint aroma of her exquisite perfume and the musk of their intimate section still clinging to his skin. Alex strode down the curved staircase, his expression an impenetrable mask as he approached the study where his father waited. Though outwardly composed, his mind raced with potential scenarios that could provoke such an unannounced visit. Had their machinations against the Boltings been discovered? The thought settled like a leaden weight in his gut. He squared his shoulders before pushing open the oak doors and entered the barely illuminated room. "Father." Vaughn Montgomery rose from the wingback chair, his iron grey hair and patrician features lending him an air of aristocratic distinction. "Alexander," he greeted with a curt nod. "I trust I didn't... interrupt anything too involved?" A knowing glint sharpened the older man’s gaze, and Alex felt his neck prickle with instinctive defiance. "Merely dealing with some... routine matters," Alex replied evenly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence here?" Vaughn's mouth thinned to a flat line. He moved toward the crystal decanter. "I've received some rather..." He paused to pour two generous glasses of amber liquid. "Unexpected news that requires our immediate attention." Alex's brow arched inquisitively while accepting the tumbler handed to him. "I'm listening." "President Bolting is dead – assassinated last night." His father's next words dropped like a steel ball, reverberating through the air with grim finality. Alex stilled, his thoughts shattering like a dropped mirror as these words began to ripple outward. Though initially taken aback, he soon recovered his composure. "How? What happened?" he rasped once his voice returned. Vaughn's expression was as unreadable as chiseled granite. "The details are still unsure, but it appears to be the work of a well-coordinated attack. Professionally executed." Alex's grip tightened fractionally on his glass. "And our involvement?" "Unclear at this juncture," his father said after a contemplative sip. "For now, we'd do well to solidify our stance and brace for any... fallout." The two men locked stares, the weight of the moment hanging tensely between them... Alex felt the air leave his lungs in a harsh exhale. President Bolting was dead - assassinated by unknown forces. His thoughts raced with impacts and scenarios that spun wildly. "This wasn't part of our plan," he finally bit out with narrowed eyes. "You assured me no one would get hurt beyond ruining that sanctimonious prig's reputation." Vaughn's expression remained infuriatingly impassive. "And I meant it. Whatever happened last night, we had no direct hand in it." He swirled the liquor contemplatively. "That said, his passing does present...opportunities we'd be foolish not to explore." Alex scowled, tamping down a swell of unease. Serena's father was one thing - a necessary casualty in their longer game. But outright assassination? By whom and for what purpose? "We need to get ahead of this," he stated flatly. "We need to find out who was truly behind it before we're caught in the fallout." His father's mouth curved in a thin, calculating smile. "I'm already on it. My people are vectoring in on all potential angles as we speak." Vaugh clinked his glass against Alex's in a sardonic toast. "After all, we can't let such an opportune tragedy go to waste, now can we?" Vaugh’s word lingered in the air, loaded with implications Alex couldn't yet grasp. But he knew his father - Vaughn Montgomery never left anything to chance. Alex could not get rid of the thought that they had now irrevocably launched on a path that neither of them could see through as the first nagging fingers of doom took hold. “Humm.” Alex nodded slowly, a thoughtful scowl on his face. He had been unprepared for President Bolting's death and was now left with more questions than answers. Even with all the possible benefits, he couldn't shake a persistent feeling of uneasiness this news stirred within him. "You're certain our hands are clean in this?" he pressed, locking eyes with his father. "I'd hate for there to be any loose ends that could unravel everything we've worked towards." Vaughn's expression remained inscrutable as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "Have I ever left such critical matters to chance? Our mission was targeted and surgical - to decimate Serena's reputation and leave her father powerless. Anything beyond that would have been sloppy and unnecessarily risky." Alex exhaled slowly and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. His father's meticulous planning had always been a source of reassurance, even when questioning the moral boundaries they routinely crossed. "Then we'd best capitalize on this unexpected turn of events," he stated, his voice regaining its usual confident timbre. "The presidency is effectively leaderless which we can exploit to our advantage." Vaughn's lips curved in a thin, predatory smile. "Exactly! With Bolting out of the way, those who curry favor with us now will be well-positioned when the new regime takes shape." He lifted his glass in a mocking salute. "Long live the new order." A sharp rap at the door interrupted their scheming. Alex frowned as his father's assistant entered, her expression taut with urgency. "Sir, you need to see this," she stated, holding up a tablet with a news broadcast already queued up. "It's about the President's death." Father and son exchanged a weary glance before focusing on the screen. Alex felt the first icy threads of nerves coil in his gut as the somber details started to come to light. It seemed their moment of triumph was just the beginning of something far more sinister...and potentially devastating. -------Alex got busy with making plans to seize the power that was left vacant due to the death of President Bolting which was finally announced more than an hour ago.He immediately left for the office after seeing his father and the mysterious lady off.The ring of his cell phone sliced through the thick silence inside his office.Alex glanced down at the caller ID and a knot twisted in his gut.He motioned for his assistance to leave before answering with a curt, "Hello?""Alex." A familiar female rasped. “I just saw the news. People are going to start feeling sorry for her. You have to do something before she gains their sympathy."Alex clenched his jaw. The irritation radiating off of him at the voice of the caller was palpable but he maintained his composure. "I know. I'm worried if this sympathy takes hold, her story might start seeming believable.""Exactly!" the woman’s urgency crackled through the line. "You can't let her get out of this, Alex. I need you to call an emergency press
~Meanwhile~Rest had been a total stranger to Serena throughout that pitch-black night from hell, completely oblivious of the latest scheme her dear husband had plotted against her.Her eyes were haunted and sunken, weighed down by sheer exhaustion like a pair of concrete blocks.Her voice had cracked like a fragile leaf about to be torn apart by the wind. Desperation seeped into every ragged syllable she had uttered until this moment.The salty tears brimmed on the precipice of her thick lashes, threatening to spill over at any second. "You have to believe me," Serena pleaded, her lower lip quivering. "I'm innocent, I swear on my life I didn't do anything wrong."These words had become a haunting mantra, echoing relentlessly in the hollow corners of her mind ever since she'd been forcibly hauled into this cold, dank holding cell hours ago.A sickening wave of nausea surged over Serena as the crushing weight of those damning accusations bore down on her like a torrential storm. Each w
Serena gradually clawed back from unconsciousness until the world around her swirled into focus.The stark reality of her predicament hit her like a sledgehammer as she found herself sprawled on a hard mattress and surrounded by a ring of concerned faces.At the forefront stood Kate, her loyal companion alongside several officers whose expressions bore a tumultuous blend of emotions etched across their features."Serena, are you alright?" The question was laced with genuine worry. It was Kate's voice, tender and trembling like a frightened bird caught in a storm.Their bond was more than just between a manager and her artist, and the severity of the moment only served to solidify that connection.Serena battled against the pulsating pain that echoed inside her skull, each throb a cruel reminder of her reality. She summoned whatever strength she had left to sit upright. The movement shot electrifying jolts of agony through her body as if her very nerves were rebelling against her."You
An ominous silence fell over the sleek, black van as it pulled up to the towering courthouse.Serena's chest tightened when her gaze landed on the seething crowd that outnumbered even the ravenous one they'd escaped at the police station.An array of angry faces blended together, bound by their shared animosity and stoking one another's rage like a roaring inferno.Serena swallowed hard. She had faced her share of obsessive fans and paparazzi frenzies, but this...this was different. These were mobs vying for her blood.Her delicate fingers trembled as she clutched the door handle, steeling herself to face the barrage of hateful words that was sure to come."Just keep your head down and let us do our job." a gruff voice beside her muttered.Serena took a deep breath and gave a curt nod, stepping aside to let them lead her out onto the steps.A thunderous bellow burst from the mob, sending a wave of hateful words hurtling towards her as a barrage of venomous allegations and derogatory r
Jenkin watched in awe as the two men effortlessly dispatched his would-be attackers in a flurry of well-aimed bullets.It was over in seconds, and the disturbing silence that followed rang in his ears.The two strangers prowled towards Jenkin's crumpled vehicle with the focused intensity of apex predators.One was a mountain of a man, his sculpted face betraying no trace of emotion. The other cut an intimidating figure, though his frightening demeanor was complemented by a wicked grin.Jenkin scrambled back when the grinning man leveled his gun at the windshield. "Out of the car, Counselor. Nice and slow," he said in a voice smooth as silk.Jenkin's mouth was drier than the Sahara. He fumbled with the door latch and stepped out on trembling legs to face his unlikely saviors.Up close, the intensity in the man’s pale eyes was jarring and predatory."W-Who the hell are you people?" Jenkin managed, fighting to keep his voice steady.Killian's grin widened a fraction, though the mirth nev
The luxurious black town car was utterly silent, the tension so thick and palpable that it felt like a physical force pressing in on them from all sides. Everyone inside the luxurious vehicle was staring at Jenkins with the same intense, unwavering gaze - as if he were a lamb being sized up for slaughter. Even Sevene, who had his eyes closed in an almost meditative repose mere moments ago, was now fully awake and alert, his sharp features etched with wariness. "Do you fear death?” A deep voice belonging to the masked man echoed.His mere presence was suffocating, overbearing in a way that made the hairs on the back of Jenkins's neck prickle with primal unease. Those piercing amber eyes seemed to bore straight through him, stripping away every pretense and lie until only his deepest fears and insecurities remained exposed. Jenkins could feel that hypnotic stare searing into him, seeing straight through to the darkest corners of his soul, and he had to fight the nearly overwh
The courtroom was gripped by a heavy, expectant silence, every eye riveted on Serena Bolting's devastatingly beautiful form. Despite the tumultuous incidents leading up to this moment, her otherworldly beauty remained utterly undiminished. Her exquisite porcelain features betrayed the roiling mix of emotions she was fighting with every fiber of her being to conceal. Even amid her profound sorrow, her petite figure seemed to exude an aura of elegant defiance as she sat motionless in a random seat with her bearing regal and focused.The doors opened again to announce Jenkins’s arrival. His measured footsteps echoed through the hushed chamber like a solemn symphony as he approached Serena. His eyes were brimming with an empathetic tenderness that bordered on reverence for the fragile young woman. A weary sigh escaped his lips when he reached her side, expressing the staggering depth of suffering they had endured together during this whole ordeal. "Ms. Bolting," he began softly and
A disapproving tsk erupted from the crowd, but Serena just shrugged nonchalantly. "Diana felt no remorse whatsoever when they realized I had discovered their betrayal. Not a shred. In fact, she openly mocked me and hurled vicious, nasty remarks at me, which quickly escalated into an explosive confrontation between us."Her slender fingers unconsciously drifted to the bruise marring her porcelain cheek as she vividly recalled the searing sting of Diana's mom’s acrylic nails raking her flesh a while back. "It was a brief physical altercation, nothing more. Yes, there was shoving and scratching, but Diana was most certainly still alive and relatively unharmed when I left Alex's apartment in a blind fury. I swear this to you on everything I hold sacred." Her voice caught with raw emotion as she pressed on. "The news of her death mere hours later was as devastating to me as it was shocking. I had absolutely no hand whatsoever in harming her, despite her utterly despicable actions."