Gerald's bodyguard glanced curiously at the two women as he adjusted the rearview mirror. They had led him on through unfamiliar routes and onto the pathways that led to the outskirts of the city. The destination was a small hotel in a secluded corner of the city and that did not please him."Sir, do you seriously want me to keep going, we are well out of the city, this is unfamiliar territory," the bodyguard inquired. Olivia who was in the back seat, next to Gerald, leaned across and whispered in his ear while her hand began to caress his inner thigh. “Discretion is key, isn’t it, Gerald? Clara and I wouldn't just let you have us in any random hotel after all," she said in a seductive manner.Gerald chuckled as he waved a dismissive hand. “You worry too much. Besides, Olivia here has a point. Let’s not make a fuss. Just follow their directions,” he said to the bodyguard.The bodyguard clenched his jaw but said nothing further. His eyes briefly at the rearview mirror as he conti

Liam pulled the SUV up to the rear of the compound, the sound of the engine replaced by silence of midnight. Behind him, two of Alfred's men opened the back of the vehicle and carried Gerald’s body onto their shoulders. They had knocked him unconscious as he continued to struggle in their way to Marcus' house."Come on," Liam whispered and his voice was low so as not to wake Marcus up by that time.They moved him behind trees through the shadows of the compound, their movements were calculated , their only source of light was the moon but that was okay as they recognized the compound off heart. Liam opened the large wooded door that led to the basement, a place that was either used for storage or activities they didn't want others to be aware of. As they entered, they found only one light bulb was lit. At the center of the spacious but almost dark room was Alfred who sat behind a desk at the center of the room, calm and deliberate as ever. Upon the desk lay a bottle of whiskey

Alfred slumped in his chair and the shadow of the laptop screen fell across his face as he looked through the offshore balance on the screen. Transfers of money were being processed. It wasn’t his first time handling such financial matters, but the weight of responsibility since Gerald made the transfer felt a bit heavier. Since his temporary as the second-in-command of Silver crescent Clan, Alfred understood that sometimes , money could be classified as the common denominator of life and death.His focus broke abruptly when his father’s voice echoed through the house. "Alfred!" Marcus called, his tone unusually joyful.Alfred shut down the laptop and walked out of his room. He saw Marcus in the corridor, and his face was ecstatic with joy as If a child with a playful experience. "Maxwell’s awake!" Marcus exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.Alfred paused for just a second and allowed the statement to register. In that instant a smile appeared on his face which showed a m

Lenox paced his dimly lit office, the air was thick with the aroma of cigars and the scent of old leather. His mind was a could of thoughts as he thought about his brief phone call with Alfred. The confidence in Alfred’s tone was undeniable, and it left Lenox feeling nervous.Gerald, his trusted associate, had been missing for days, and now he knew why. Alfred had him. But Gerald being taken wasn’t the problem , the real threat lay in what Gerald knew. For the past weeks, Lenox had built his faction’s financial wealth with him as well as a network of plans and resources that had them in a more advantageous position than Maxwell and his allies. Gerald was privy to every detail. The offshore accounts, shipments, and even safehouse locations. If Alfred extracted this information, Lenox’s faction would crumble overnight.Another alarming thing was Gerald had knowledge of the key warehouse locations where Lenox stored cash reserves and other critical assets. If Maxwell’s faction

Light reflections streamed through the curtains in her room while Emma drank her coffee and the thoughts of Maxwell filled her head. When she went to see him in the clinic, previously, she had been unwelcomed and uncomfortable by Katherine's overprotective yet polite presence. It hadn’t gone well. But she could not let that be the reason she'd stay away from the man she loved.With a renewed determination, Emma dressed carefully, choosing a soft blue blouse and jeans, casual but polished. She got her hair into a tidy ponytail and reached for her car keys before leaving the house. Maxwell had a soft spot for small, kind gestures, and so she stopped first at the farmer's market to get him some of his favorite fruits.The market was bustling with activity when she arrived. She walked around the stalls, her former memories clinging to her, dragging her back to a time Maxwell would talk about the juiciest strawberries or crunchiest apples. She picked out a box of strawberries, a clust