The old patriarch’s statement brought about a commotion.Boyd West took a step back. He never expected to hear those words. Even the patriarch felt the immensity of his words as they escaped his mouth, but he couldn’t take them back.Amira, who stood at the stage, cringed. “G-Grandfather…”The guests were unsure whether they should carry favor with the young man or keep their distance. After all, the West family wasn’t an entity they could go against.But then again, he had the backing of the Alroy family. Even though they didn’t come out and say it, they wouldn’t dare cross either Overlord. Besides their uncontrollable expressions, they remained silent and watched from the sidelines.Boyd knew something must have happened for his father to act this way. He looked towards Elisa, who became more infatuated with Jackson. He nodded to get her attention, but her focus was elsewhere.The old patriarch voiced in a domineering tone. “Don’t let me repeat myself! Do as I say!”***With the hel

They must’ve watched the video from the surveillance room continuously for several hours, searching for clues. The security guards scanned the area surrounding Cloud Manor and even questioned some guests, hoping to find something useful.It was already dark outside, and the poles were the only thing illuminating the streets. As if it was a bad omen, menacing clouds obscured the moon.Although it was late, Elena and Jackson kept at it, going through the surveillance once more. The only time they stopped for a break was when a knock on the door interrupted them.With a slight irritation written all over her face, Elena mumbled. “Come in!”A security guard walked in. With audible dismay in his tone, he uttered. “Miss… W-We found something…”Elena noticed the fright in the man’s eyes. She kept her cool when she asked him. “What is it?”The security guard remained silent as if he was searching for the words, which made Elena even more anxious. “Out with it! What happened?”“Y-Yes… Someone

A village burnt to the ground appeared as the antithesis of the surrounding serene canvas of greenery.The chirping of birds came from the distance. Bursts of wind silenced the animals, which made it even more eerie. It would raise ashes, creating a suffocating gray mist.Jackson, dumbfounded with welled crimson eyes, tried his hardest to breathe by covering his nose with a piece of cloth, filtering the stuffed air. He couldn’t believe the sight in front of him.At first, he thought it was an illusion created by the low oxygen in his brain. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, thinking his eyes played tricks. He resisted the urge to rub them, to not worsen the situation. Stunned, Jackson stared at the girl at the door. Several scenarios went through his mind. The last thing he expected to find was the girl he searched for.With a similar expression, Tia blacked out in front of the young man. Her turquoise eyes almost went white from surprise. “Why?”From the corners of his eyes, Jacks

When the gunshot went off, Jackson with the two women inside the house got roused. Tia approached the window. Before she could look outside, Amber pulled her back. “That’s dangerous! Stay out of sight!”Frightened, the girl uttered. “I want to know what happened…”After a short static in Amber’s intercom, Bryce’s voice came through.[Amber… They shot Gianni!]With eyes widened, Amber stared into nothingness. Her brain was as if it froze, and words refused to leave her mouth. She looked blankly in Jackson’s direction.Although he could take a guess, Jackson asked for nothing. Instead, he flipped the table. Swiftly, he grabbed their hands and dragged them behind the toppled furniture. “Get down…”Meanwhile, Bryce had already returned to the van. Cold sweat drenched his clothes, and his breathing became erratic. The fleeting scene of Gianni getting shot in front of him kept replaying in his mind.Crimson blood splattered on the van’s doors. The painted ground became slippery as the burly

Golden eucalyptus leaves formed an earthly carpet. With every step, a cracking sound accompanied whoever walked towards the small wooden cabin.It had rained the night before and the lake overflowed. The once green banks became submerged.The shade provided by the long trees didn’t allow the weakened rays to reach the ground.A white smoke flowed freely from the small chimney in this humid morning when the thick fog made its way inland.A car slowly approached the cabin with its headlights on. Jackson and Tia got off and waited. Shortly after, a second car pulled up. This time, it was Julian with Dana, and the other two.Just as he got closer, Jackson remembered the days of his recovery he spent in Red Maple Grove. For an entire month, he stayed there with little of an interaction with the outside world.Warren was his only company, and for that, he was grateful. His face showed signs of reminiscence and a warm smile appeared, which he quickly brushed off the moment he saw them.Jacks