For a moment, Ariane's mind went blank, and she was seized by fear. She was feeling Yuna's grip tightening on her arm but could not understand how to wriggle out. His eyes were sharp, and it was obvious that the manager expected his way to be explained."I. we. ," said Ariane, struggling.The manager flicked his gaze to Yuna and something seemed to shift within his expression. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to piece it together.Yuna swallowed hard, stepping forward slightly. "We were just—"The manager widened her eyes in surprise as recognition flooded them Yuna's face. A slow, almost sad smile crossed his face as he glanced between her and Ariane. He knew what they were trying to do."You're trying to leave, aren't you?" he said, his voice calm yet edged with the weight of what he was supposed to do.Ariane's heart raced. "Please," she whispered, desperation thick in her voice. "We need to find out what happened to my dad." The expression on the manager's face see
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
Ariane and Yuna stood at the intimidating gates of the prison before them; through the imaure stone, a sense of foreboding crept up on them. Ariane turned her expression to Yuna, her forehead deeply furrowed with confusion. "What are we doing here?" she asks low, but edged with concern.Yuna said nothing immediately. Her eyes were focused at the prison, her mind racing. This was where they locked up her father. The thought struck her heart, dulling all of Ariane's words, making her feel the pinch of the circumstances weighing hard on her."Ariane?" she broke into her thoughts. "What are we doing here?Yuna jerked herself out of the daze and grimaced one of those 'pretend' smiles. "Well, I heard Mr. Charles talking about his brother working here," she lied to cover her real reason.Ariane frowned, being able to perceive that something wasn't quite like how she was saying, but disregarded it. "Okay, no problem. Let's go inside."Yuna nodded reluctantly, her feet moving forward though he
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 kept his cool and gave Clarke a thin smile. "I'm leaving already," he said, tone even. "I just came over to visit with Ju Won."Clarke did not move, his eyes narrowing as he continued to search Stephen's face. "What's the hurry?" he asked, his interest tinged with suspicion, taking a step forward to get a better view of Stephen. "I really would like to see who this guy is, this 'Mr. Cruz'.".Stephen didn't flinch. His eyes were locked on Clarke's. "Nothing to see here," he answered coolly. "Just a man visiting an old acquaintance. Now, if you'll excuse me."Back in the van, Ariane watched nervously as Yuna worked away, gradually loosening the rope binding her wrists. Yuna turned to look at Ariane and whispered, "You need to create a diversion—just say anything."Ariane paused as her heart galloped. "What do I say?" she whispered back, her voice trembling.One of them—the larger one—sent them a scowl. "Shut up, the both of you," he growled. "You're cramping my peace."Yuna was
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
Enoch swiftly walked down the hallway of the empire. His steps clanged on the polished marble floor. He remained focused and pushed aside attentions from the several other employees who filed down the area, glancing at him. Forty minutes had elapsed since he entered the office, but there was still no Marriane. He would have thought she would be around dealing with the business as appropriate for the status of a CEO, but the office remained deserted.Frustration, boiling beneath the surface, came forth with a sigh. "She doesn't know a thing about running this place," he muttered under his breath. "Leaves without a word, and no one knows where she's gone."All of a sudden, there was that familiar chug-chug of an engine. His ears whipped up, and he turned to the entrance. It was definitely his vehicle. What right had Marriane to take his car out?Enoch rushed towards the entrance just in time to see Marriane alight from the driver's seat. A deep frown marred her face, although she was no
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