Warning: violent scene. Please proceed with precautions for readers sensitive to violent scenes.
Al immediately called Stanley. However, the man didn’t answer his call. Then, he asked some of his father’s team and several men whom he could contact to go to the Rose Garden immediately. Since he didn’t know exactly the situation Jacob faced, Al asked two teams to go there and protect Jacob.
When he was about to go, Arturo stopped him. “What’s going on?”
“Jacob just called me. He said he is under attack.”
“What?! Let’s go!”
“No, Dad.” Al shook his head. “You’d better stay at home. We’ll tell you what’s going on after we fi
Warning: violent scene. Please proceed with precautions for readers sensitive to violent scenes.When Lee and Viona were already downstairs, she snapped her fingers. “Ah, I got a better idea.”“Which is?”“We don’t need to approach him. I can call him and put his voice in the speaker so you can hear it too.”“Brilliant!” Lee raised a thumb. “Do that!”Next, Viona called Jacob and put the phone on the speaker. He didn’t pick up the phone. She called him again, and the same thing happened.She sighed. “Maybe it isn’t a good idea. Let’s go there.”
Warning: violent scene. Please proceed with precautions for readers sensitive to violent scenes.When the new team also arrived at the garden, Al immediately ordered them to shoot the snippers. Since the enemy snipers didn’t want to be killed so easily, they targeted the tree where Jacob, Emily, and the twins took shelter. They hit so many times until the tree cracked and fell.“Jacob, over here!” Al shouted.Jacob knew he should shield Emily and their children. So, he prepared them. “We must run to Al’s car. Hurry! Follow me.” He took Jason while Emily lifted Mia in her arms. “Ready?”Emily nodded. Jacob ran toward Al’s car. Then Arturo bombarded the snipers with his automatic gun while he stood there to get a
Warning: violent scene. Please proceed with precautions for readers sensitive to violent scenes.Jacob then said to Al, “Go home first to prepare a burial for Art. I need to talk with our people first.”Al nodded. His eyes looked grim, but he already accepted his father’s death.Jacob approached Emily. “Go home with him.” He glanced at Harold, then back at her. “I’ll call you later.”Emily nodded. “Thank you …” She bit her lower lip as she stared at Al who brought his father’s corpse with some of their team members to his car. “I’m so sorry for Arturo’s death. I know you’re close with him.”“Yes, he’s more
Emily’s body was icy and numb because of the blood flowing heavily from her back. She forced a smile when she reached out her hands to her children.Both of them cried, but Jacob didn’t allow them near Emily because he didn’t want them to touch her back.“Dad, Mommy will be alright?” Mia asked. She clung to Jacob and sobbed.“Yes.” He exhaled and nodded. “Your mommy is strong. Soon, she will be okay.”“Jason?” Emily asked for his son.Jacob glanced at his son and nodded, asking his son to come near his mother.“Mommy?” the little boy asked.
Jacob sighed because Harold took a long time inside. He was worried about everything, especially if Harold’s blood didn’t match Emily’s.So, he asked a nurse who passed by, “Has Mr. Montgomery finished donating his blood?”“Oh, yes, sir, but he’s still inside. Probably he wants to wait for the patient.”“Thank you.” Jacob then glanced at the twin. “I’ll go inside. You two wait here, okay?”“Yes, Dad,” Jason said. Mia nodded, saying nothing.He crossed the hall and walked in the direction where Harold had left before. Then, since he couldn’t find him, he glanced around and asked a security guard there. “Where is the room
“Your loss was my gain.” Harold chuckled. “I had never expected I would fall in love with her. The moment I saw her unconscious, I felt something for her.” He let out a sigh. “She reminded me of my late partner, who died when she was pregnant with my baby.”“I’m sorry, man …”“Yeah. Knowing later Emily was pregnant, it was like a second chance with me. I fell in love with her gradually, but with the twins, it was love at first sight.” He looked at the sky again. “They were so small, but then they filled my heart with love. The moment I saw them, I knew I would do anything to protect them.”“Including giving your name?”“It’s the smallest thing I could do for them.
“Are you serious?” Jacob raised his eyebrow. “If you are interested in our business, the underworld ones, I would talk with others first.”“Right. You can’t make a crucial decision on your own.”“Indeed.” Jacob tapped his fingers on the table, trying to think. After a while, he said, “I can’t make an exact calculation for now because at first, I must get others’ approval first. But if we want to sell the businesses to you, our financial chiefs must work to prepare the business transaction offers. Of course, it’s after getting all leaders’ approvals. So, it may require a few months to complete everything.” Then he added, “It’s if they agree with the decision to sell and transfer the underworld businesses.”&ldq
Harold was sitting before a window across the surgery room in the ER area. It had been an hour. The more he waited, the more he was restless.After ten minutes had passed, the surgery sign was off, signaling the surgery had been finished. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.Later, he rose and glanced at the door, awaiting the doctor to exit the room. After five minutes, the doctor stepped out of the surgery room.“Mr. Montgomery?”“Yes, Doctor.”“Your wife is still unconscious as she is under full anesthesia. So, please wait for a few hours or tomorrow for her to wake up. The operation went well. Fortunately, the bullet didn’t hit the spine so there was no fatal wound because o
Finally, it was the meeting time. Jacob glanced around to predict how much support they had already had so far.“Thank you for coming.” He nodded. “Some of you already heard from Al and Lewis, but I will reveal about this now, so we all are on the same page. So, since I’ll move in a different direction in the future because my business requires more of my time, I have three options for you all to choose. First, we’ll continue as usual, but I’ll retire and we’ll choose someone else as a new leader.”Some leaders who hadn’t heard about it frowned because they liked Jacob and didn’t want him to retire.Hector raised his hand. “Who do you have in mind as your replacement?”“I thought of Al, b
Jacob arrived at the headquarters an hour earlier than the meeting schedule. He wanted to talk with Al first. As he had already told Al about it, he found the younger man sip a brandy.“Hey, Bro. You already came. Do you want it?” Al offered the brandy.“A glass, please?”After having a snifter each filled with brandy, they walked to a small room and sat there while sipping the drink. Al waited for Jacob to talk first because his mind was still full of grief after the funeral.“I asked you to talk because it’s about the Gold Cleaner and me.”Al raised his eyebrow and nodded a little, but said nothing, supporting Jacob to talk more.
Three days later, all the Gold Cleaner’s members attended Arturo’s private burial. They wanted to give last respects to their former leader. So one by one put a white flower on the grave and shook hands with Al and Jacob.Emily attended the funeral too because she knew how close Jacob and Arturo were. She didn’t bring Jason and Mia because she didn’t know how long the burial would last.Once everyone had already given their last respect, Al finally said his speech. “Thank you for coming. I appreciate it. My father would hate it if we were sad because of him. However, knowing everyone comes here and remembers him well, I’m sure he’s smiling right now.”The sea of people in black clothes filled in the cemetery. No one talked as they wanted to hear what Al sai
“Something’s wrong,” Emily said. “Harold has never been so late like this.”Jacob stared at Emily. Despite not knowing Harold well, he knew Harold was a businessman. Harold wouldn’t be a successful businessman if he couldn’t come to a meeting on time, especially a business meeting.“Call him,” he said. “Maybe he gets stuck in traffic.”“If he does, he should let us know instead of letting us wait here.” She glanced at her wrist. “It’s been forty-five minutes.”Someone knocked before Jacob answered. It was the server. Then he smiled at Jacob and Emily. “I’m sorry for coming here, sir and madam, but Mr. Montgomery specifically instructed me to serve both of you
The next day was Sunday. Harold sent a text message to Emily. ‘Meet me at the Premium Steak restaurant. There is something I want to talk about with you two. Let’s discuss it over lunch. Leave Jason and Mia at home. It’s a date! Wear a white dress and high heels, my love. See you soon. Ask the greeter to show you to table three. I already reserved it. Don’t be late. I already asked Jimmy to pick you up at home at ten a.m..’So, Emily prepared herself to go to the restaurant. After wearing a silk white dress and matching color high heels, she put on makeup. It was rare that Harold sent her a text message to set a date, but she was excited. He was overprotective of her after she was out of the hospital.She told the nurses, “I’ll go for lunch with Mr. Montgomery. Please look after Jason and Mia, okay?”
Six months later, Emily had already recovered from the wound. She still experienced pain from time to time, and it got worse during the cold weather. Harold was with her, and she knew she wouldn’t leave him for good.One day, Harold told her, “I want to go to the Lovely World with Jason and Mia. Is that okay?”“Of course.”“Jason was injured back then. I want to erase the memory and replace it with a better one.”“Thank you.” She held his hand and squeezed it.“No need to thank me, love, but you must stay at home.”“What?! No way!”“Baby, you still need
Harold was sitting before a window across the surgery room in the ER area. It had been an hour. The more he waited, the more he was restless.After ten minutes had passed, the surgery sign was off, signaling the surgery had been finished. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.Later, he rose and glanced at the door, awaiting the doctor to exit the room. After five minutes, the doctor stepped out of the surgery room.“Mr. Montgomery?”“Yes, Doctor.”“Your wife is still unconscious as she is under full anesthesia. So, please wait for a few hours or tomorrow for her to wake up. The operation went well. Fortunately, the bullet didn’t hit the spine so there was no fatal wound because o
“Are you serious?” Jacob raised his eyebrow. “If you are interested in our business, the underworld ones, I would talk with others first.”“Right. You can’t make a crucial decision on your own.”“Indeed.” Jacob tapped his fingers on the table, trying to think. After a while, he said, “I can’t make an exact calculation for now because at first, I must get others’ approval first. But if we want to sell the businesses to you, our financial chiefs must work to prepare the business transaction offers. Of course, it’s after getting all leaders’ approvals. So, it may require a few months to complete everything.” Then he added, “It’s if they agree with the decision to sell and transfer the underworld businesses.”&ldq
“Your loss was my gain.” Harold chuckled. “I had never expected I would fall in love with her. The moment I saw her unconscious, I felt something for her.” He let out a sigh. “She reminded me of my late partner, who died when she was pregnant with my baby.”“I’m sorry, man …”“Yeah. Knowing later Emily was pregnant, it was like a second chance with me. I fell in love with her gradually, but with the twins, it was love at first sight.” He looked at the sky again. “They were so small, but then they filled my heart with love. The moment I saw them, I knew I would do anything to protect them.”“Including giving your name?”“It’s the smallest thing I could do for them.