“It was an order from we so-called, Grim Reaper. I haven’t met him yet, but my boss… He’s the one who talks directly to the grim reaper.” The guy confessed as he struggled to breathe due to the continuous flow of blood from his face.“Tell us, where is your hide-out?” It was Itsuki’s turn to ask. While Mariko took off the knuckles from her hand and wiped her bloody hands with wet wipes.The man looked at Mariko who also sent him daggers through her stare.“What is your boss’ name? And which gang are you?” she asked.“We called him King Cobra. He had a huge cobra tattoo on his body. He’s known as a fearless gang in the underground society. I bet Ethan Reed knew him as they fought before.” he explained, which made Mariko look at the rectangular-sized mirror, where Ethan and Marcus were listening.“He has a deep grudge against Ethan so he agreed to cooperate with Grim Reaper,” he added.Mariko nodded as if she understood everything now. “Now, can you treat my face? I am in pain, as you c
“Did you find them?” Ethan asked.Ethan, Austin, Mariko, Marcus, and Itsuki were having a meeting at the base. They were talking about the Grim Reaper and King Cobra whom the guy they caught mentioned. They were still puzzled about who this Grim Reaper was. Itsuki and Austin led the troops to go to King Cobra’s hideout but when they arrived at the hideout, they saw nothing.“No. They were gone. I think they knew our plans.” Austin informed them.“Alright. For now, we need to secure your wedding.” Ethan said while looking at Marcus and Mariko.“Especially you, Mariko. You need to be extra careful. Your condition is not a joke. Once they found out about your pregnancy, they might target you. And make sure, you have guards to protect you and Marcus.” Ethan said.“I will guard her, Master,” Itsuki informed them.“No. Take charge of Marcus and the guests. I can manage myself. If the enemies will show up on the wedding day, they will surely cost damage to our event,” she stated.“We will ta
“How did it happen?” Marcus asked as he grabbed Itsuki’s collar and looked at him with flaring eyes. Marcus, Ethan, and Austin arrived at the hotel, where they last saw Mariko. In the room where she checked in, they saw a small empty plastic and an empty glass, with a little white powder spread on the table, which they thought was a drug, as they were trying to trace the incident that happened a while ago. Itsuki showed them a copy of the video from a CCTV, that the accomplice carried the unconscious Mariko into the car in the basement and they put her inside the trunk. Ethan shook his head disappointingly as they saw the video. “The way they took her looks like they planned it very well,” Austin commented. “They even conspired with the makeup artist. I did not expect that to happen. Now, I’m worried about her condition. I hope she’s okay.” Ethan said. Marcus, who was still holding Itsuki, gnashed his teeth. “If something happens to them, I will not forgive you.” He pushed Itsuki
“Great! Thank you. Please tell us now where we can find him.” Marcus asked.Greg looked at his escorts and told them to wait for him in his room, and the ladies followed his instructions. “He said,” the old man said as he led the way to his office. They arrived in the office, and Greg ordered his men to give his guests some drinks.“So, what do you know about King Cobra?”Ethan asked.“Well, after you left the underground world, there were two leaders who ruled the underground world. First was Lucia, and the second was King Cobra.” Greg started.“Lucia was the first woman to lead the Mafia, but King Cobra seduced her and took her place. King Cobra killed Lucia. But there are rumors that Lucia hid their son.”“I don’t care about their love story. I want to know where his hideout is located.” Marcus lost his temper as he slammed the table.“Oh! I’m sorry about that. Alright. King Cobra has five hideouts. The first one is his mansion, located in Southville. The second hideout is located
‘Lincoln,’“Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!” (You bastard, how dare you to do this to me?! We thought you already die, you dimwit! Put me down, and I will kill you!)Lincoln laughed like evil and it echoed all over the place. They were in an abandoned house in the middle of the forest. And he hung Mariko in a post enough that Mariko could not reach the floor.He wiped the tears that escaped from his eyes from laughing. “How I wish to remove the duct tape that covers your mouth so I could understand what you are talking about. But, sorry, dear… You’re too high to reach you.” Lincoln stated which irritates Mariko more.Lincoln stood up from his seat. “Well, it’s getting late. I will be back tomorrow. Sayonara,” Lincoln said and left the place, leaving Mariko still hanging.She listened carefully to the surroundings, and when she noticed no one was there to guard her, Mariko swung herself to escape from the hanging. But instead of getting out of her place, her stomach suddenly hurt. Only then did she rem
“Put her down, and I will surrender myself to you. You can do all you want from me. But please, don’t hurt Mariko.” Ethan said.“No, Mr. Reed! Don’t sacrifice yourself. You should go now and leave me here. Don’t worry about me,” Mariko interrupted.Lincoln’s attention turned to Mariko. “Shut up, bitch! Don’t worry. I will kill you after I kill him!” He said, but Lincoln got surprised when Ethan threw him a dagger, causing him to let go of the gun.Ethan hurriedly ran and jumped into Lincoln, causing the latter, stunned. Ethan punched Lincoln while he was sitting on top of him. But Lincoln finds his way to fight back, and they rolled, causing Lincoln to be on top of Ethan. Ethan fought back again. And he managed to beat Lincoln. Ethan took the opportunity to help Mariko get down from the gallows. And he ran back to Mariko to help her untie the rope.“Thank you, sir, for helping me,” Mariko said.“Thank me later once we get out of here. For now, I already informed Marcus, and they were
Marcus’ hands were shaking after seeing Lincoln’s head explode in front of him after he pulled the trigger right to Lincoln’s temple. In his entire life, he never killed someone until now. He felt anxious as he killed a person without hesitating and it might lead him to prison.‘What will I do now? Shall I surrender myself to the police, after what I did? This is wrong. I shouldn’t have killed him and let the law punish him. But I can’t blame myself for killing him. He pushed me to my limits. And because of him, dad and Mariko are in critical condition. He made me do this.’ Marcus tried to justify what he did minutes ago.He looked at his hands and shirt which had stains of blood from Mariko, Ethan, and Lincoln. And there’s blood also splattered on his face. His disheveled hair and suit made him look more like a serial killer.***Soon, Christian, John, and Lucas arrived and were waiting for him. Their jaws dropped as they saw how messy and bloody Marcus was while walking in a daze in
The doctor shook his head, as the patient did not survive. With his shoulders down, the doctor took his face mask and approach the patient’s family.“Doc, how are the patients?” Austin asked.“Are you their family?” The doctor asked, which made them nod.“I’m the guardian of Mariko, doc,” Itsuki informed the doctor, but their eyes turned to the newcomer who had just arrived.“I’m Mariko’s fiance, and I’m Ethan Reed’s son,” he announced.“Alright.” the doctor said.“As for Mariko. She lost a lot of blood because she lost your baby, and she had a shot in her right chest and we almost lost her because she suffered cardiac arrest. But thankfully, she’s strong and Mariko made it. We successfully removed the bullet from her chest and she’s now in the recovery room. Let’s just wait for her to wake up before we will transfer her to the suite that you prepared for her.” the doctor informed them which made them all sigh in relief.‘Thank God for saving her.’ Marcus silently prayed.He felt reli
FINALE!!!Mariko woke up with a dizzy feeling. She looked at the ceiling, with a frown.‘Where am I?’ she wondered.Mariko looked around and noticed that she was in the room. White ceiling and walls with a touch of the color gold. There was a round table and two chairs in front of the king-sized bed.She checked herself if she was still wearing her clothes, and Mariko sighed in relief when she was still wearing the same clothes.‘Am I at the enemies’ den? But why does this place look extravagant? Is the person who ambushed them rich? That would be possible. There are plenty of Mafia groups in this country who are billionaires as well.’ She thought.Mariko also noticed the cuffs that were made of steel locked on her feet. And they tied it in the post, but her hands were free. She also noticed that she didn't have her weapons with her anymore, which made her hiss.Suddenly, she remembered Marcus. ‘What about Marcus? Where did they hide him? Did they also lock him in a room like this?’ s
One Month LaterMariko was busy checking out the proposals that has been sent to her. It’s almost eight in the evening. And she was left alone in her office. She stood up to get another set of coffee as she was thinking of staying in the office until she finished her paperwork. She rubbed her eyes as she felt like she was feeling sleepy.Suddenly, Mariko received a phone call from Itsuki. Mariko frowned.‘Why Itsuki is calling me at this hour?’ She looked at the clock…The time difference between the two countries was four hours. And Country P was four hours ahead of country Y.‘It’s already twelve in the evening there. What does he need at this hour?’ she wondered.After a few rings, Mariko decided to answer the call.“What’s up?” she asked. But Mariko became alert when she heard Itsuki from the other line, breathing heavily.“M-Mariko,” Itsuki muttered.“Hello, Itsuki… What happened to you?” She asked but all she heard were groans from the other line.Suddenly, Mariko felt nervous.
Mariko’s tears suddenly fell from her eyes. As she felt how sincere Marcus was in his words. ‘After what I did…’ Somehow, Mariko felt guilty about everything. She felt sorry for him, as she left Marcus when he needs her the most.“But I don’t deserve your love. I’m sorry, Marcus.” Mariko pushed him slowly before she walked away.Everyone’s eyes turned to them as Mariko ran away, leaving Marcus in the middle of the stage, stunned. Bobbie called his attention.‘Maybe she didn’t love me at all.’ His shoulders fell. As he felt dismayed. ‘Maybe it’s time to let her go.’ He thought, as his face felt defeated.“Hey! Are you gonna stand there?! Aren’t you coming here for her? Are you just gonna let her leave you again? Fight, man!” Marcus turned his eyes at Bobbie.“Go chase her!” One of the lady guests cheered him.“Don’t let her leave you!” The other one said.Everyone has been cheering him and telling him not to let go of Mariko. Marcus’ tears started to fall down his face. Somehow, he f
“I need to talk to her,” Marcus informed Bobbie.Bobbie stopped him from chasing Mariko. “But, she already knew that you were in a relationship with me,” Bobbie reminded him.Marcus heaved a sigh. “I know… But I can’t take this anymore. I don’t want to lose this opportunity. I love Mariko and I missed her so much. I hope you understand. Don’t worry, I will still pay you no matter what happens tonight,” he said.“Alright. If that’s what you want. I won’t stop you. And I wish you good luck.” She smiled as she wished him good luck.“I’ll just have to wait for you in the car. Because you promised mom to bring me back home.” Bobbie wiggled her brows. She doesn’t want to go home, wearing a gown while using public transportation.“Yeah. I did not forget about that. I’ll see later,” he said before he went inside the ball and look for Mariko.Marcus was having a hard time looking for Mariko as the venue was huge and there were a total of six hundred guests who were invited to the event.‘Fuck
“Mariko!” Mariko turned to find out who owned the familiar voice that called her real name. When he turned around, he saw a handsome man in a tuxedo. The man she hadn't seen in two years. The man who melts her icy heart. Marcus Reed. Mariko was surprised to see Marcus on the Gala night.‘What is he doing here?’ she wondered.Their eyes locked with each other as Marcus approached her, but both of them got stunned when George pulled Mariko toward him and kissed her on the lips. Mariko’s eyes widened in surprise, and it felt like her body froze. Marcus stopped walking toward them. He clenched and frowned. ‘Asshole,’ he thought as he was glaring at George.Suddenly, a soft hand crawled down to his hand and it clasped to his. Marcus looked at the person next to him, who was staring at the two people kissing. While Mariko pushed George and wiped her lips. She glared at him, but George seemed not affected by her blazing stare. Mariko looked at Marcus who had now a woman beside him. She fr
“I will pretend to be your girlfriend. Why? Because you’re pitiful, and I wanted to earn money. And my mother doesn’t know about all of this. You can use me to get your woman jealous. In exchange, you will pay me the right price.” “Are you serious?” Marcus was stunned at what she just had said. “Well, I just need money… And you need someone to use to make your girlfriend jealous… So, it’s a win-win situation. Don’t you like it?” she asked. Marcus scrutinized her. If she was dead serious about what she just said. The woman in front of him will not see any remorse. And it was evident that what she said was deep. Marcus heaved a sigh. ‘I don’t want to use her if Mrs. Suarez did not know all this.’ “Go to my office tomorrow, and let’s talk about this matter with your mom. I also want to inform her about this plan before I will agree with you. But get yourself ready. Because if she agrees, then you will be my date on the upcoming gala night.” He informed her. *** Morning came, and Ma
“Was it related to Mariko, your ex-girlfriend?” Catherine asked.“Yes,” Marcus simply answered.“But I think you don’t have to do it.” Marcus frowned at what Catherine had said.“Why?” he asked.“Simply because she doesn’t deserve your love.” Catherine bluntly said.Marcus looked at Catherine. Her face was so severe, and she looked pissed. “Are you mad?” He asked.“Obviously, yes. Because of that bitch, Uncle Ethan died for nothing. He left you when you needed her. She has no conscience. She’s heartless! And I hate her.” ‘Hmp!’ Catherine scoffed. She put her arms crossed under her chest and pouted her lips. While her eyes were glaring sideways.“Are you that affected?” He asked.“Who wouldn’t be? After all the things our family has done for her. You took care of her when she was in the hospital, unconscious. But when she woke up from a coma, the first thing that came to her mind was to leave you. “ Catherine rolled her eyes.“She’s a bitch.” Catherine exclaimed. “You don’t deserve to
Country Y "Welcome, Mr. Reed. I am Mitch Suarez. I will be your executive secretary here at M2M Corporation. I’m looking forward to working with you, Sir.” Mitch said. “Thank you, Mrs. Suarez.” Mitch Suarez led their way to his new office. Marcus was the CEO ( Chief Executive Officer) of the M2M Corp, John was the COO (Chief Operations Officer), and Austin was the chairman. They arrived at the office, and Mitch opened the door for him. The office of the executive secretary was at the side of the entrance of the CEO’s room. When they entered the room, Marcus was in awe, seeing how beautiful his office could be. It was spacious enough to occupy 10 people with their tables but it was only he who will use the office. At the side of the door, before entering the room, there’s a table where the receptionist welcomed them. When you got inside, the floor-to-ceiling window caught Marcus’ attention. It has an automatic curtain operated with a remote, whether you want to close the curtain or
‘He sees me. What would be his reaction? Did he hate me? After I left, I decided not to step into this country again. But things happened and I needed to come here for my company. I did not expect that we will meet again. And this bastard did not tell me and made his actions on his own. Dammit!’ Mariko’s mind was full of thoughts that she did not even listen to what George had said. It was like George confessed his love to her, but she was not interested in what he had just said. She was just interested in the news about Marcus, who followed them. Somehow, her feelings towards Marcus never change.‘If only I could turn back the time. That time before I got kidnapped. I should have been more prepared.’“Mariko, hear me out.” Mariko came back from her deep thoughts when George spoke.Frustrated, Mariko raised both of her hands as if she was surrendering. “George… Stop it, will you? Stop this nonsense. If you don’t, you will leave me no choice but fire you.” Mariko sternly said in a war