He went down on his knees as darkness clouded his vision; the pain made him scrunch his face as he tried to raise his head. Two figures were looming over him, wearing a mask. His eyes were closing, and their voice dulled into the background, reduced to distant echoes. The clanging of the baseball bat as it hit the floor met his ears. That was the weapon used to assault him. One of the figures grabbed him and tried to pull him away from his car and towards another vehicle parked just behind them. His attempt to struggle was futile, as it only earned him a hard blow to the chest, causing him to grunt in pain. The door to the minivan slid open, and they tried to shove him inside. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins when the reality of being kidnapped dawned on him. With one burst of energy, he broke free from the strong grip of the man holding him, driving his foot into the torso of the other person, destabilizing them. He swung his arm, landing a punch on his attacker. His resi

She began to hyperventilate as her eyes widened. Charles, who was sitting in the front seat, turned around to face her. “Are you alright madam?”Being one of her most trusted staff, she didn't hesitate to turn the phone screen towards him so he could have a look. Even the driver tried to peep through the review, but he couldn't make it too obvious that he was to have a look for himself. A small gasp escaped Charles lips. “Do you think it is them?”For a second, she stared out into space, imagining the worst. “Honestly, I don't know. It's hard to say, but we can't take any chances.” Her voice was low and filled with determination. By the time they got home and pulled up in front of the mansion, Matthew got down from his car. Quickly noticed the worried expression on his grandmother's face and asked. “Are you okay Grandma? Are you still thinking about what happened earlier?”“No it's okay, I'm fine. I just need you to be more careful from now henceforth, I think somebody is after us

Charles brought the keys to the padlock and opened the door. Everyone held their breath as the door creaked, the hinges croaking as they revealed the room inside. It was a large room with a high ceiling. In its center stood a king-sized bed with various pillows sprawled over it. She was by the edge of the room, eyes widened and alert. She tried to make herself seem more minor, her body trembling with fear. Her eyes darted between all the people standing in the room. “Go away! Go away!” she yelled, backing up against the wall, trying to shrink. Matthew stepped forward, extending his hands. “It’s okay. Calm down. It’s me. I’m the one who was trying to help you outside,” he said in a soothing voice. Raymond scoffed, “You see what I’m saying, she’s crazy!” He remarked. “That is no way to refer to your wife,” Amelia cautioned him. Martha was still agitated but seemed to calm down when Matthew approached her. He lowered himself to be at eye level with her. “It’s okay. We’re not trying

Elena straightened her back, meeting his glare with an equally defiant one. “What are you angry about? Is it because your plan to humiliate me in front of the board failed?” Raymond didn’t bother to respond; he just walked away. Naturally, Matthew grew inquisitive, and as they returned to their offices, he asked Elena about what Raymond had said. “What was my uncle talking about earlier when he said don’t forget why you’re CEO?” His voice was laced with curiosity. Just when it seemed he was uncovering the dynamics of the Houston family, there always seemed to be a new layer to uncover. “I’m not sure I should tell you this, but let’s discuss it in my office,” she responded. While inside her office, he shut the door behind him to ensure nobody could overhear their conversation. She moved over to her chair and plopped down, throwing her back against the backrest. Silence stretched out between them, and the expression on her face was that of someone reminiscing. “I have been working f

Vanessa was a short woman who had a similar body frame with Amelia. Her face was still vibrant and her silver hair added to her fierce look. She wore a gray knee length dress with slingback heels that completed the entire look. What others would have believed to have been a forced look seemed to irritate Amelia the more as she stared on.Vanessa descended the steps slowly approached Amelia, a sly smile sat across her lips as she greeted Amelia once more, “how the years have gone by,” she chided, her hands folded before her and stared Amelia down.“They've certainly not done those wrinkles justice,” she sneered, her expression remaining the same as though she hadn't just commented on Amelia's looks.Amelia scoffed, “all those years of botox barely paid off,” she retorted while she wondered what exactly had brought them back to the country, and more importantly, New York City.Vanessa held back, pinching at her fingers at the backhanded insult she had just received, but there was nothi