Lyra’s POV:I did as Havoc suggested two hours after dinner I met up with him at the library.When I got there he was already seated on a sofa, with his legs crossed and his eyes shut.I cleared my throat to notify him of my presence, then I made my way to him.I dragged a stool and sat down not too far from him.“I guess I came late, forgive me.” I apologized.“You did not come late, Lyra. I came earlier.” He said, while staring deeply at me. “I do not recall everything we spoke about earlier, regarding my brother. Can you please refresh my memory.” He added.“You had said that you suspect Clegane Bloodhowl, of Ser Xander’s abduction. But he doesn’t seem to be one who has a keen interest in politics like his father does. Then I asked about the rumors you might have heard about him and before you could reply, the guardsman announced Queen Aria Blackfang’s arrival.” I summarized.Havoc suddenly stood up from the sofa, he began to walk back and forth as he said. “I have heard countless
Lyra’s POV:“I now understand why my brother is mad about you....” Those words kept on echoing in my mind.I couldn’t believe that Xander Blackstorm was mad about me, I walked through the dimly lit corridors with a wide smile on my face. I was about to take a turn when I heard voices emanating from the study, it was Xander’s study.“Who could be there by this time?” I asked myself as I made my way to the door.I stood at a corner and pressed my ears on the slightly opened door.I was able to decipher the voices of the two women in a light banter after a while.“Lady Blackstorm and Queen Aria!”“What would you do if he is not found?” Queen Aria asks.“He will be found.” Lady Blackstorm replied, firmly.Queen Aria lets out a hearty chuckle then says. “You sound like you are sure but your eyes tell a totally different story.”“What do you want from me, Aria?” Lady Blackstorm inquires.“I need you to assure me of my daughter's well being. It’s been almost a week since he went missing, Dr
Hysander’s POV:For the past four days, I have felt nothing but restlessness.At first I thought that it was because I had not seen Draven for some days now, but now that I think about it, maybe it’s because of that strange dream I had.“Would there be another Death’s Eclipse?” I asked aloud.I picked up a watering can and filled it with water then I proceeded to my window. I placed a flower pot there yesterday, it already had steady sunlight, but no water.“Maybe watering those plants would keep me at ease.” I thought to myself as I made my way to the windowI lifted the watering can up in an attempt to begin spraying, when a cat suddenly jumped, landed on my window.I was slightly taken aback but I quickly composed myself.“You will be the death of me.” I said, as I stared at Draven in a cat form.He suddenly hopped into the room and transformed into a little boy dressed in rags.“Be careful of what you wish for, Sander.”He said, as he made himself comfortable in my rocky chair.“Yo
Lyra’s POV:“It’s time.” Gallen announced.“Time for what?” I asked.“No time for questions, follow me.” Havoc ordered.Gallen stepped out of the storage house, while we stood at the entrance.In not less than two minutes, I saw Gallen leading about fifteen men as they were about to walk past the storage house.Then Havoc suddenly grabbed me by the hands and pulled me into the crowd.And once again I perceived that ominous scent, I had no idea who it came from as I was in the midst of almost 18 men.“Make sure you look tired and worn out.” He instructed, as we came close to the main gate.At the main gate, there were two guardsmen positioned at the two ends of the black iron gate.Four were scouting round the walls that surrounded the area and more might even be positioned outside.One guardsman suddenly walked up to Gallen, from where I stood I could overhear the discussion between the two men.“Gallen!” The guardsman called out.“Joeffer, how are you doing today?” Gallen asked.“Not
Lyra’s POV:“What should we do now?” Havoc asked, waking me up from my daydreams.“I do have an idea, but it has to be done by the both of us.” I replied.“Care to share?” He asked.“I had this crazy idea a while ago, I saw a group of performers flocking in and out of this field. They passed through that passage.” I said, as I nudged my head to the direction of the passage.“So what do you suggest?” He inquired.“Let’s go one after the other through that passage, we shall both take turns to avoid suspicion and to keep an eye on Gallen. I will go first and sneak around the place for at least thirty minutes, when I get back I will tell you of my findings and I will break down every mapping of every new passage and direction I come across. In order to make it easier and faster for you to do the same.” I explained.“What if one of us finds something fascinating and we decide to stay longer than thirty minutes?” Havoc asked.“Whatever thing you or I find but can’t survey due to time we wou
Lyra's POV:“Follow me.” He said and began to walk deeper into the corridor.I followed him regardless of how scared I was. I needed to find Xander.We stopped in front of a room, he pushed the door open and we stepped inside.“What do you want to know?” He began.“Where is Xander?” I asked again for the uptint time.“My father has him.” He replied.“The viscount?” I asked rhetorically. “Why?” I questioned further.“He has been trying to get Lord Draven’s attention for months now. He has written and sent letters to his castle in Tiluk, but has received no response. He knows of Lord Draven's rage towards the SilverMoon Pack and him wanting to put an end to Thaddeus Blackstorm. So he abducted Xander, he wrote a letter last night and sent it to the grand castle. Hoping to get a response but have yet to receive a reply.” He explained.“I do not understand, why does your father want to get Draven's attention?”“Because Lord Draven is like a tide, he is unstoppable. He destroys everything
Lyra's POV:Gallen, Havoc and I returned to the mansion as planned. Not exactly as planned, Gallen and I were to sneak back in while we remained hidden in a barrel. While Havoc could return on his own the next day.Instead the three of us sneaked back in using the barrel. After the offloading process, we got out of our respective wine barrels, dressed up in our normal attire and sneaked back into our rooms.I tiptoed to my bed, took out all the pillows one after the other then I slipped into my bed.Before I drifted off to sleep I reminded myself of one thing. Havoc's explanation, he claimed that I was with him while I was with Clegane.This can only mean one thing. “It was Draven Darkmoon.”>I woke up quite late, I guess the stress from my journey with Gallen and Havoc last night really got to me.I was about to step out of the room with Eadmond, who had come to fetch me. When a maid ran in.“Ser Xander has been found.” She announced, her face beaming with smiles.Her happiness c
Lyra's POV:Later that night I sneaked out of the room and went to the library.When I got inside I turned around trying to make sure the door was perfectly closed.“How have you been?” A familiar voice asked out of the blue.I turned around and I was shocked to see Xander stitted on the sofa.He looked tired and worn out, he looked linner than usual and he was staring at me deeply.“I have been good.” I replied. “Were you treated badly over there?” I asked but he continued to stare.“Is there a problem? Why do you keep looking at me that way?”“I can't take my eyes off you, Lyra. You look beautiful.” He replied.I was surprised, I expected him to have gotten a reality check by now. But here he was, spewing rubbish.“You need to stop this, you are only making things harder for the both of us.” I replied.“While I was away, I grew scared. Not because I feared losing my life or my position. But because I couldn't imagine a life without you. I wished that I could tell you how I genuinely
He shut the door and dipped his hands into his pocket, admiring our cozy home. I felt a chill run down my spine."I don't understand what's going on. What is he doing here?" I whispered to my friend, trying to make sense of the situation."Let's just hear him out." She replied calmly.I glared at him, who was still grinning at me. "So, this is what you do? Go around saving girls to get into their pants?"He didn't seem surprised by my words, for reasons best known to him."Layla, it's not like that." My friend said, touching my arm, trying to calm me down, but I was having none of it.“You're never going to stop, are you?" He shook his head, turning around to admire our home further."Imani, he has to leave.” I whispered urgently."What? It's raining heavily outside. Where do you want him to go?" She replied, defending him.I was shocked. "No... he can't stay here! I don't want him in this house, and that's final!"Her expression changed, and she lashed out at me. "And what makes you
Vince stepped into his apartment, greeted by the savory aroma of pizza.Imani sat on the kitchen counter, devouring a family-sized pie."Hey, babe! How was your meeting with Michael?" Imani asked, mouth full of pizza.Vince sighed, taking a seat next to her. "It was a disaster. He refused to listen to me, and now he's in denial."“What happened?" Imani asked, concerned.Vince recounted the entire ordeal, from him informing Michael about Sun Mi's true identity, that her parents were trying so hard to hide to Michael's refusal to believe him."...and then Michael told me to drop it, that I was being paranoid.” Vince concluded.Imani shook her head. "He's just scared, Vince. He'll come around once he realizes the truth."Vince nodded. "I know, but time is running out. Sun Mi's life is at stake and his as well. He might die from depression at this rate. It's been four years already, yet Michael is still grieving this hard.” He explained.Imani placed a hand on Vince's arm. "We'll figure i
Vince stepped into Michael's office, with a warm smile."What's good, my man?" Michael asked, flashing a bright smile."Not much, just trying to stay out of trouble," Vince replied, chuckling."Trouble? You? Nah, you're a straight shooter, Vince." Michael said, laughing out loud."Hey, watch it, I can get into some trouble if I want to." Vince jokes."Oh, I'm shakin' in my boots." Michael teased.Vince playfully rolled his eyes. "Anyway, enough about that. I got some serious business to discuss."Michael's expression suddenly became serious. "Okay, what's up?" He asked.Vince took a deep breath and began to narrate the whole story, starting from when he paused his speech to run after Jerry, only to bump into Mrs. Johnson."So, while I was about to give my speech during your grand opening in Seoul. I had seen you run out of the building, obviously annoyed, so I decided to run after you but I got lost in the hallways and I saw someone I never expected.I saw Jerry talking to a strange
Vince immediately ripped the box open, and they were met with a surprise. Inside, they found a packet of drugs, drips, syringes and a small paper containing instructions on when and how the drugs should be taken."What the hell is this?" Vince asked, puzzled.Bunker shook his head. "I don't know, but I can find the contact of a doctor or nurse, or at least a friend of mine that works in a hospital, they must know what these drugs are used for." He suggested.“Sure let's go with that.” Vince responded.Bunker made himself comfortable on his rusty cushion and picked up his laptop from the side table and turned it on.He scrolled through the laptop a few times before he announced joyfully. “I found someone's contact on the net, but she is not allowed to give out certain information except in crucial situations.” He explained.“So how do we go about this?” Vince asked.“Well, we will just have to put on a good show.” Bunker replied as dialed the number and the person picked up after the t
Sun Mi sat at the edge of her bed, sipping her coffee and staring out the window. She had been having the strangest dreams ever since she returned to America. Every night, it was the same thing - she would see herself in a different scenario, but the faces of the people around her were always blurry. Except for hers, she could see her own face clearly, but everyone else's was a blur.Jerry walked into the room, carrying a bunch of grocery bags. "Hey, good morning!" He said, setting the bags down on the counter. "I brought breakfast."Sun Mi smiled, she was grateful for the distraction. "Thanks, Jerry. You're a lifesaver."As Jerry started setting the table, he noticed that Sun Mi looked a bit off. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, concern marred on his face. "You look like you've lost your last marble."Sun Mi sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know, Jerry. I just can't shake off these weird dreams I've been having. And the weirdest part is, I can only see my own face. Everyone
Sun Mi slept peacefully in her hotel room, her facial mask placed on her face as usual . She was exhausted from the long flight and the events of the day. As she drifted off to sleep, she began to dream.In her dream, she saw two men in a car, speeding down the road. They were laughing and playing loud music, oblivious to the road ahead. Sun Mi's heart raced as she saw herself running into the road, trying to get to the other side. She tried to scream, but her voice was muffled.The car screeched to a halt just inches from her face. Sun Mi's heart skipped a beat as she saw the two men staring at her in shock. One of them looked like he had seen a ghost. The other was grinning from ear to ear."Is she alive?" The second guy whispered."We should take her to the hospital.” The first guy suggested, his eyes fixed on Sun Mi's face.Sun Mi felt a jolt of fear as the first guy approached her. He was handsome, but there was something strange about him. She tried to move away, but her body fe
Vince's mind was racing as he sat back in the airplane seat room, staring at the footage Travis had sent him. The grainy video showed Mrs. Johnson arguing with the masked Sun Mi backstage at a runway show. Vince's eyes narrowed as he watched the video again, this time paying closer attention to the body language of the two women."I think Sun Mi might be Layla.” Vince whispered to Imani, who was sleeping beside him. Imani's eyes snapped open, and she sat up straight, her eyes locking onto Vince's."What? Why do you think that?" Imani asked her with her eyes wide open in shock.Vince showed her the footage, and Imani's eyes widened as she watched."This is getting juicier by the minute," Vince said, his eyes locked onto Imani's. "I think we need to dig deeper."Imani nodded in agreement, then asked . "Are you sure about this?”Vince nodded. “I am not a hundred percent sure that Sun Mi and Layla are one and the same person. It's only a hunch and my intuition is never wrong.” He said, gr
As the plane soared through the skies, Michael, Sun Mi, Carol, Jerry, Imani, Vince, Mrs Brown and other business partners settled into their seats, exhausted from the events of the past few days.In business class, Jerry and Sun Mi chatted quietly, their conversation carrying over to where Michael sat."So, what was it like dancing with Michael?" Jerry asked, his eyes sparkled with curiosity.Sun Mi shrugged. "It was nothing special. Just a dance.”She said with a nonchalant expression.“Are you sure? Your heart did not flutter or skip a beat when he placed his hands on your waist?” He inquired.“Was it meant to?” She clapped back.Michael felt a pang of hurt listening to her words.“Why do I feel this way? I should be happy, this is what I wanted after all.” Michael said, trying so hard to convince himself.He decided to push his emotions aside, trying to focus on preparing for the conference call he would have in a few hours time.IN THE FIRST CLASS:Vince was on a mission, he neede
The event had long ended and every guest had gone to their respective homes or hotel rooms. Michael stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, while he made use of a smaller towel to wipe out the beads of water on his body.When he was done he sat down at the edge of the bed and began to think about everything that went down today during the grand opening. From being rude to Senator Bong Won Yun, because he had belittled Sun Mi. To actually listening to Imani and asking Sun Mi for a dance and finally finding it hard to say that he doesn't care about her.He couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that had been weighing on him since Imani's words. He couldn't believe he was developing feelings for Sun Mi, especially after being responsible for Layla's death. He started questioning his own morality and wondered why he was capable of loving anyone else.“Michael, you need to forget about the past and move on.” Imani had said, but it was easier said than done.~~