The morning filtered through the penthouse windows. Pieces of modern furniture smothered with the same warm hue. She was already dressed in a silk-tied suit which complemented her form. She moved briskly inside the penthouse living room; she balanced her bag around her shoulder and checked the slim clock on one side of the wall. Maybe Ariane must have been in her room or maybe still asleep. She sighed, raising her card from the table of glasses."Just in case you need anything, Ariane, my card's on the table!" she called out, briskly determined but keeping her distance."Okay, Mom!" came the muffled reply from within, and Marriane nodded at the sound, glad enough for a small response. She didn't have time to stand there much longer; the empire needed her presence, and she was already running late."Bye!" she added, more on formalities than a real attempt at a conversation. It had her barely blink before she steamed off toward the elevator.The door opened and Mariamne confronted the h

Enoch was frozen, the phone still clutched a little too hard in his ear, though the call had long since ended. He blinked, his eyes fluttering shut as he digested the tornado of emotions suddenly stirred up by that sound of Victor's voice. He hadn't heard from his little brother in so many years, and for good reason. Victor was that kind of trouble which never went away quietly."Well, isn't this just great," Enoch muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. He leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling as though it could give him some clarity. There was none to be found. All he could do was to attempt to untangle the mess Victor was going to drag him into.He exhaled an audible sigh and pushed off from the wall, walking back to his desk. He sat down and blew out a breath, frustrated. He hated the fact that Victor was alive, and more so, that he reached out to him now, of all times. His life had already been in a heap of turmoil without his brother adding to the pi

Stephen eyed the cop a moment. Confusion swam in his eyes. "I need to speak with Ju Won alone," Stephen said, firm but polite. The cop hesitated before nodding. "You've got a few minutes," he replied, stepping out of the cell and closing the door behind him with a heavy thud. Ju Won squinted at Stephen, trying to place him. "Who are you?" he asked, suspicion in his voice. Stephen reached up and carefully peeled off the fake mustache and beard. Ju Won's eyes widened in recognition. "Stephen?" he gasped, then his voice bloomed in amazement. "I thought you were gone for good." "It's a long story," Stephen replied, his voice low. "But I need your help." "How?" Confusion was on Ju Won's face. "I'm sorry, supremo. But what could you possibly need from me?" Stephen drew closer, dropping his voice to hush. "I need knowledge about Clarke. I know he's the person behind all this, and I need to stop him." Ju Won blinked in surprise. "Clarke? You're going after him?" Stephen nodde

Stephen watched hawk-eyed from far off, where Clarke and Marriane were standing beside the van. He remained in his hiding and wondered what their next step would be. Clarke paced up and down, his cell phone pressed against his ear, the frustration almost palpable. Marriane just stood, her arms crossed, her impatience self-evident. SCRATCH That was finally when the call he had placed got connected. MAN "Hello, boss," replied one of the men, his tone straight."Where.are.the girls?" he demanded, trying hard to keep his anger at bay.The man hesitated before blurting an answer, "Boss, there is something wrong. These girls have tricked us and run away."Clarke's face darkened into a scowl, but his voice was low and cautious to avoid attracting unwanted attention. "What?! How could you be tricked by some kids? Find them in five minutes.or else."He hung up, his jaw tight, then turned to Marriane with a forced smile. "The kids are on the way. They'll be here soon."Marriane regarded him sus

Yuna's wrists ached from the tight ropes digging into her skin. She struggled, a petite frame unable to make the chair creak. Tears ran down her face as she begged, "Please, let me go. I won't tell anyone. I swear."Clarke looked straight across the table, his eyes glued to the glowing screen of the cell phone. The only sound in the room was the very soft clicking of buttons as his fingers danced across the screen. He did not even flinch upward as Yuna continued to plead."Please. just let me go home," Yuna's voice trembled.Suddenly, "Game Over" flashed on Clarke's game. He snarled and threw the phone on the table with a thud. His cold, unrelenting eyes locked themselves onto Yuna. "You know, I had about two moves to victory. Then your whining made me lose."Yuna flinched. Her body trembled. "I—I'm sorry," she meekly mumbled."What?" Clarke sneered. "You just can't keep quiet, huh?" He moved even closer, his face just some centimeters distant from hers. "Why don't you just shut up fo