“It is clear that we are surrounded in this area. They are waiting for us to leave this room, so no matter what you do…” Ethan leaned closer to Ryan, his hand cupping his cheeks as he glared right into his eyes.“This time, don't act recklessly. You have to obey me. Is that clear?” Ethan warned, and seeing how serious Ethan was, Ryan nodded his head, accepting the fact that Ethan was only trying to protect him. He was trying to shield him from getting hurt.All his life, he had always fought for himself, but no matter the injuries he sustained, he'd always be fine. Seeing Ethan's concern for him, his heart felt warm.Soon, he got freed from the clutches of the ropes that held him against the pole.“Come on, let's go!” Ethan took his hand and was going to pull him out of the room, but immediately, Ryan pulled his hand out of his grip, making Ethan turn to look at him in utmost confusion.“Are you okay? What's wrong?” Ethan asked, his eyes staring back at Ryan, who looked determined not

Just as they were about to lift him from the bed, a sudden intrusion of footsteps approaching the room caught their attention immediately.“Someone is coming!” Ryan gasped as his heart raced. There was no doubt that he was scared. He was scared of losing his father or Ethan.“I think we should…” he began to say, but Ethan swiftly cut him off with a sharp gaze.“Stay still. Find a place to hide. I'll handle this!” Ethan urged, but Ryan didn’t see it as a good idea.“What? Hide? But you are injured too. I need to…” he started again, but Ethan interrupted."Hide now. Don't make things difficult. I'm begging you!” Ethan warned, his voice low but urgent. Seeing the serious expression on Ethan's face, Ryan's eyes widened in understanding, and he nodded quickly.Ryan didn’t want to be a burden. He turned on his heels and dashed to the far corner of the room, slipping behind the heavy curtains. He crouched down, trying to make himself as small and invisible as possible, his heart pounding in

In a dimly lit room, a man in a black suit with a cigarette between his fingers gazed at the blood painting hung on his wall. He sat down on an expensive couch, his eyes not leaving that particular spot. He was waiting for good news from Gideon's men, who had gone to carry out the job for him.Just as he reached for his drink, the incessant ringing of his phone caught his attention, making him stop halfway. He reached for his phone instead of the glass.“I guess it is done,” he snarled deeply as he picked up the phone and placed it to his ear after swiping the answer button.“Speak!” he commanded in a deep voice, awaiting the caller's words.“It is done, sir… your enemy is out of the way!” The person on the other end revealed, causing Mr. Andrew to smile briskly.It was clear that this kind of information was going to make his days, or rather years, much better. He loved the fact that Ethan was now out of the way and he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.“Are you sure about thi

Standing before the mirror in his room, James Mase made sure he was dressed in a way that no one, not even Mr. Andrew, would look down on him.He had his tie properly knotted and his shiny shoes cleaned, complementing his blue suit that accentuated his appearance.A smile curled across his lips as he stared at himself in the mirror, but it was immediately replaced by a frown.He was happy that the company would be taken away from Mr. Andrew, but what if Ethan didn’t show up as he assumed or imagined?“He has to show up… he just has to show up... please,” James mumbled to himself as he kept staring at his sad reflection in the mirror.Just then, his eyes trailed to the clock, and seeing the time, he knew they needed to leave.With a swift and calculated turn on his heels, he headed out of his room and towards the car to leave.But just as he was about to leave the house, the sight of Ryan sitting on a couch in the living room caught his attention, and even worse, he wasn't dressed for

“Where are you, Brother… where are you, Ethan?” James whispered urgently, his eyes darting around nervously. He was on edge, desperate to keep the situation a secret from everyone around him.If anyone found out that Ethan wasn't coming, it would certainly shift things in Mr. Andrew's favour, ruining everything James had planned.As James scanned the room, his gaze fell on Mr. Andrew, who stood casually in the corner to the right, a smug smile on his face. Mr. Andrew looked too relaxed, and James couldn't shake the feeling that he might be behind Ethan’s disappearance and the attack.“No! He isn’t dead. He isn’t dead yet!” James muttered fiercely, shaking his head as if to dispel the dark thoughts that threatened to consume him. He clenched his jaw, trying to steel himself against the fear that gnawed at his insides.With trembling fingers, he fished the crumpled paper from his pocket again. His gaze was locked onto it, desperately searching for a sign, any sign, that Ethan was still