Devious plansElizabeth's POV"How dare he treat me like an ordinary stranger?!" I snarled as I strutted into my father's house.I was so enraged by how Adrian treated me, telling me we weren't close enough to be acquaintances. I mean to hell with Acquaintances. We've known each other for decades."Welcome, Madame" The butler stood by the door and greeted me with a bow, but I effortlessly ignored him and walked into the living room.Surprisingly, my father was seated on the sofa with a business magazine in his hands.*I thought he had work to do had the company* I whined inwardly, making up my mind to avoid him.I waltzed to the staircase, but before I could take a step further, his cold voice struck my ears."Where are you coming from, Liz?" He berated.I slowly turned to look at him, expecting to meet his gaze, but he still had his eyes on the newspaper."I..." I trailed off when I recalled that I wasn't good at lying. He could find out the truth by himself.I heard him sigh as he c
City viewAdrian's POVWhat exactly did that old man want this time?He had to call me at a critical moment, and he gave me no chance to refuse before ending the call. I thought he wanted nothing to do with the company's investors ever since I became the CEO, but surprisingly, he was attending a meeting today.Still, I couldn't understand why he needed my presence. I'd already assumed he was a lord of perfection as he portrayed himself to be a long time ago."Let's go to the company" I ordered my chauffeur when I got to the car.Soon, we were on our way to the company. I spotted a large entourage of bodyguards lurking around from the gate to the entrance of the building. The old man valued his life even at his age.I alighted from the car and strutted into the building, merely nodding in response to their greetings."Big boss" I heard a familiar voice call, and I turned to see James walking up to me with his signature smile."What's going on?" I asked, raising a brow.James glanced ar
TrespassersAdrian's POV"Come with me, James" I ordered. "We're heading to the construction site for the City View project.""Alright, boss" He replied.We got to the car and hit the road. I took my time to brief James on the meeting. Soon enough, we arrived at the place."Everything looks normal" He stated, looking out the window.I shook my head in disagreement. "We can't be certain until we've checked the whole area. Get out of the car!"He obeyed and opened the car for me. I stepped down gently and took a step forward, taking in the fresh air.The land was a good one; one I had managed to acquire through an auction two years ago. It recently became of good use, and now, some assholes thought they could take the land away from me."Boss, look over there" James called my attention, pointing at a spot. "Those men aren't ours."He was right. We had a uniform our construction workers always wore on duty."Let's go check them out" I stated, feeling a familiar feeling surge through my v
SOSAdrian's POVIt was the audacity for me. Alvarez Innovation was a growing company that started four years ago, unlike Santoria Industries which has been in existence for decades now.Perhaps, their head knew nothing about the power we held in Asia. It seemed some people just needed to be lectured the hard way to instill discipline into them."Big boss" My bodyguards acknowledged me in unison.I nodded in approval and turned to one of them. "Go tell the head of our construction workers to keep working. Whatever's going to happen shouldn't bother them.""Noted, boss" He replied, and walked away.The rest of them didn't need to be told. They all marched towards the place the enemies claimed to be their territory. I didn't even need to be at the front line. Soon enough, bones cracked and shrill screams echoed through the air.James walked up to me with a satisfying smirk on his lips."Big boss, the man we spoke to earlier wants to say something" He revealed."Bring him over" I ordered
AbductedLuisa's POVWhat in the world was she doing here?Immediately, our gaze met, and her eyes glittered with excitement. The thought of turning back and leaving crossed my mind, but for a reason, I couldn't move."Luisa!" She screamed out, rushing to me. "I've been trying to reach you for a week now."I inhaled sharply to calm my racing heart."How did you get my house address, Sarah?" I questioned with a cold voice, my gaze darkened.Sarah shrugged. "I had to speak to someone at Spotlight Desk. Don't blame me, it was the only way I could get to you. I was here last night, but you weren't around."I kept listening to her blabbering, anger rising in the pit of my stomach. Whoever disclosed such confidential information to her had put my life at risk. What if she came here with bad intentions?I took a deep breath. "Sarah, now that you've seen me, you can leave now."I tried to walk away, but she pulled me back. The image of the last incident flashed before my eyes. I swatted her h
DefeatAdrian's POV"Big boss, I'll take care of the ponytail guy" James whispered, his lips curved into an eerie smile as his hands balled into a fist.I smiled knowingly. "I know. You can do whatever you want. Just don't get hurt, and try hard not to show all your trump cards; I can't risk allowing the enemies to predict our every move.""Roger that, Big boss" James replied absentmindedly. I was certain the wind had blown half of my words past his ears.Our men had already engaged in one-on-one combat with the enemies. The strength and teamwork of the enemies were way beyond what I had imagined. It was going to take a lot of guts to deal with them. I just hoped it wasn't going to lead to the part where I got involved."Okay," James snarled and dashed towards Scorpio, who already took a fighting stance.Instantly, the sound of fists echoed through the air. To my uttermost surprise, the Scorpio guy was quite deceptive; I could see it in his moves. James had received a few blows alread
First VisitLuisa's POV"Elite Club" I declared, getting into the cab I had ordered a few minutes ago. "Please, be quick."Strangely, the cab didn't move. I saw the driver frown through the rearview mirror."Elite Club?" He questioned, sounding displeased.I nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Elite Club. What's wrong?""Haven't you heard the rumors surrounding that place?" He questioned, his voice laced with warning. "You should have heard of people going in and never coming out again."I broke down in cold sweat. "What?!""Yes, it's a club everyone is familiar with here in the Philippines. You should have heard of it" The driver stated. "I don't mind taking you there since I'll be parking outside where the crowd would see me. But if you go inside, your life won't be in your hands anymore."It was my first time hearing about Elite Club. It sounded unique at first. Maybe it was unique in its way. At that point, I recalled my conversation on the phone with the strange man.I shook my head to
A shocking revelationAdrian's POV"You killed him?" James asked, his brows raised. "Why?""He became worthless the moment he failed to perform the simple task given to him" The old man stated, blowing the smoke off the pistol in his hands. "I don't hold on to cowards for too long."I scoffed inwardly, observing the man. It was quite rare to find old men like him with such guts. Others would have left their lackeys to do the dirty work."Now, back to business" He broke the silence, glaring hard at James. "Were you the one who knocked my right-hand man down?"James swallowed hard and threw a glance at me. He wasn't scared, was he?The old man's gaze was piercing. Even the rest of the men my people had managed to subdue were shaking in fear. I guessed it was understandable.Getting involved was inevitable then."He did" I replied with an indifferent voice, dipping my hand into my pocket. "Your men trespassed by working on the land that legally belongs to me, so they had to pay. Don't te
HopelessValerie's POVMy eyes shot open, and my chest heaved. Sweat beads trickled down my face as I tried to recall the details of the nightmare.Wait. Was it even a nightmare?"Oh, the princess is awake, huh?" A male voice whispered, his voice laced with mockery.At that moment, my senses woke up and my sharp gaze settled on the two men standing...No, they weren't standing. They were obviously kneeling before me. The two of them were shirtless, revealing the snake-like tattoos on their bodies. The one who spoke was blonde haired with grey eyes and a slender physique, while the second one had black hair with a touch of grey on it. His brown eyes was filled with mix of disdain and lewdness. His sturdy build was the most scary thing.What the hell was I doing with them?"Who are you guys? Where am I?" I questioned, my voice hoarse. A sharp pain shot through my head as I tried to put together the scattered pieces of images in my head. I couldn't help but wince in pain."Oh, she has a b
DisappearanceAdrian's POV"Tch... You bitch" I cursed, almost biting my tongue.I couldn't understand how we managed to bump into her without getting a warning from James.I shifted my gaze to Miguel. "What did he say?"Miguel shook his head slowly. "Nothing. He isn't responding.""If you're talking about the friend you left outside, he's probably dead by now" I heard Valerie say, and my blood boiled in anger."What do you mean?" I snapped.Valerie snickered. "Exactly what you heard. I already made plans just in case Jude and the waitress messed up. My men would have ambushed him by now. Now, back to our discussion. I have my terms and conditions."I frowned with a disturbance in my heart. "What terms?"Valerie smiled. "It's simple. You ditch that kitten, we get back together and you announce it to the world. Also, you help me get my company back."I was stupefied. "You're insane!" I snarled."I know" Valerie retorted. "Do you agree with my terms and conditions or are you going to re
TwistValerie's POVFlashback......"I hope that dirty waitress does her job perfectly well" I snorted, eyeing Levi suspiciously. I was still yet to understand why he decided to stick around after stating clearly that he wanted nothing to do with us anymore."She will" I heard Jude say. "She knows the consequences of failing.""Good," I stated, my eyes fluttering around the room we were in as I marveled at the scent of luxury. "How could she even afford this kind of suite in a club?"Jude chuckled. "She's the club owner's favorite and his bed warmer. What more can we expect?"She was already enjoying her boss, but it seemed her greed was insatiable. I mean, why else would she agree to my proposal?I laughed, shooking the thought of it off my mind. It was her business anyway. My only concern was to get what I wanted without mistakes."Good riddance" I smiled. "How many rooms do we have here?""Two" Jude replied curtly. "We've already prepared one for the mission. You can use the other
A Bomb DetonatorAdrian's POV"Don't forget we had a deal" Jude chipped in, glaring hard at the young lady. "One word from you, and you'll be dead."I smirked, studying her body response. "He's surrounded; he can't touch you. His words are just empty threats. Tell me the truth and I'll have you protected by my men till everything is over."The overwhelmed lady broke down in tears, her body trembling. "I... I.... don't know" She stuttered, falling to her knees.Javier was getting impatient. He walked up to her and cocked his gun, pointing it to her head. "You don't what?" He snapped. "Don't even try to scream or you'll be meeting your maker the second you do."The lady covered her mouth with her right hand, breathing heavily. Her body was drenched in sweat, and her skin was burning hot."Speak!" Javier barked, and the lady whimpered."I'll tell you" She stated. "But you have to promise to let me go. I'll pretend like nothing ever happened."I burst into laughter, stunned by her confid
The SearchAdrian's POV"She switched dresses with her" Javier stated the obvious, infuriating me further.I banged my fist against the wall, letting my anger control me. The next thing I did was to land a punch on the wall mirror, shattering it into pieces. I ignored the blood dripping from my knuckles and landed another blow on the next mirror."That's enough, Adrian. This is not the best way to solve this" Javier warned sternly.But I was too livid to listen. I swiftly threw a punch at him, but fortunately, he dodged. I didn't have enough time to withdraw my fist before he grabbed it and threw me a punch in the face."Get yourself together, man" He shouted in anger.I grabbed the sink and leaned on it for support."Shut the fuck up!" I cursed, spitting out blood. "I can't even find her. Who knows what they've done to her? How do I face her after this?""You're overwhelmed, Bro. I've never seen you like this" Javier revealed soberly. "You're forgetting it's a live video. They haven'
ImpersonationAdrian's POV"Where the hell is she?" I cursed silently, looking out for Luisa and the man she danced with. I couldn't believe my carefully mapped out plan to make sure she danced with someone we were familiar with failed woefully.As I searched for her, something kept tugging at my heart - the image of a lady behind a cat-like mask. The lady I danced with. We didn't exchange a word, but her smile kept me troubled.Who exactly was she?I felt a light tap on my shoulder, making me turn swiftly, on high alert."Chill, bro. It's me" Javier whispered. "I'm sorry that happened. I've checked everywhere but I can't seem to find her.""Tch..." I clenched my fist in anger. "What about the man she danced with?""Also nowhere to be found" Javier replied with a solemn voice.Instantly, my eyes caught sight of a familiar silhouette, dressed the same way I last saw her."Wow!" Javier exclaimed, staring at her. "Where did she go?"I ignored him, walking up to her. I grabbed her tiny ha
A SyringeLuisa's POV"Tch... Who made such a rule?" Adrian gritted his teeth in annoyance as he grumbled with a low voice. "This is the first time such is happening."I couldn't respond, because it was my first time attending a masquerade ball. I never really knew the rules.My eyeballs suddenly widened in realization.I turned to Adrian. "Who's the host?"He shrugged. "No one knows. There's a familiar signature on it; one that I'm used to. If not, we wouldn't be here.""Wow!" I exclaimed in amazement. It sounded daring but dangerous."Everyone get into position" The MC stated, signifying the commencement of the first dance. "Make sure to stand on the large blue flowers on the tile. It will help you guys maintain a reasonable distance."Blue flowers? Oh... There were imprints of blue and white flowers on the floor."Shouldn't we go join the others?" I asked, but Adrian squeezed my hand in reply."I won't let my wife dance with a stranger" He muttered.I read his lips, which left me
Dance PartnersLuisa's POV"You look stunning" Anna complimented with much sincerity, her eyes glittering with praises.She was indeed a top-notch make-up artist, who knew exactly what was good for her clients. I, myself, couldn't believe what I was seeing, my eyes fixed on the mirror."Of course, she looks stunning. It's my work of art" A sissy voice chipped in, full of pride.It was the fashion designer who helped with the dress fitting. Orlando, or what was he called? The guy couldn't just stop blabbering for a second. Nevertheless, I was grateful. Though the diamonds were too much, I still appreciated it.I didn't dare to think of reprimanding Adrian for spending his money on his wife. The masquerade ball was indeed not for the weak."Oh.. we have fifteen more minutes before the ball starts" Anna mentioned, her eyes on the wall clock. "The ride to the event center is five minutes."A knock on the door grabbed our attention. It was one of the maids in the mansion."Master demands f
A Dangerous JokeLuisa's POVThe tiny hope brewing in my chest turned to dust the moment the pervert pointed a gun at my belly. I was too young to die.Again and again, I kept falling into the hands of an enemy, and Adrian kept on being threatened, having to go the extra miles for my sake.Guilt washed over me as I watched them argue back and forth. I couldn't even summon the courage to make a sound, let alone speak out."Don't you dare try to hurt her" Adrian snarled."I will if you don't do as I say" Jefferson retorted."This is bullshit" A man standing next to Adrian cursed. "How dare you harass a woman? You haven't changed one bit.""And I'm guessing you're still that little kid who can't fight for himself" Jefferson fired back."You bet" The man replied."Enough!" Adrian commanded. "I'm done listening to your rambling. What do you want, Jefferson?"The pervert's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "I don't know who this woman is to you, but I know what I want.."A moment passed