Victor stood in the hallway, Enoch right beside him, as they were deep in discussion; there was friction between them, a shared determination to get the empire back."We will get back the empire, and this is just but the beginning," Victor said in a low, cold voice.Enoch nodded, his eyes gleaming with doubt. "I hope so. We really can't afford to make any mistakes."Before Victor could reply, the door at the end of the hall creaked open. Both men turned and awaited Marriane, but instead, they received Charles rolling into the room in his wheelchair."Hope I'm not late, guys," he said with a weak smile playing on his mouth.Victor's face contorted in anger. "What is he doing here?" he growled under his breath.Charles wheeled closer, his face set and unreadable. "I've come for what's rightfully mine," he said, the grave weight of his words making Victor's and Enoch's heads snap to attention.Victor's eyes narrowed. "Which is?"Charles held a silent moment, letting tension build, befor
Standing, Stephen's breathing still came in ragged gasps, while the adrenaline from the near-death experience coursed through his veins. Marriane's eyes were wide with shock, her mouth slightly agape as she stared at him. Clarke, leaning heavily against the wall, his own blood seeping through his shirt, looked just about as astounded. The sight of Stephen standing, his chest wound miraculously healed, defied all reason.Enoch and Victor exchanged a look; both knew what just happened. The system—had saved Stephen's life.Stephen's gaze turned to the lifeless body of Charles lying on the ground. He had almost managed to take everything away from him. But now, as he looked up, he saw Ariane, his little daughter, standing in the doorway, trembling in her small frame, with wide eyes in fear and clutching onto Yuna's hand for life. Yuna's father stood protectively by their side, his face etched in silent gratitude, but the terror still could be told in his eyes.It was these people he had c
He didn't take his eyes off Marriane as his voice didn't even quiver. "Marriane, it doesn't have to be this way. There's still a way for you to get out of this. Please, just put the gun down."Marriane's grip tightened on the gun, and for a second, she wasn't listening at all. The knuckles had turned white, her face twisted with desperation. A small voice broke through the tension.Mom, please drop the gun," Ariane sobbed, shaking.Marianna gazed at her daughter, her stiff face shuddering. "Ariane, get out of here. This is not for you to see," she said with irritation and fear in her voice.But Ariane shook her head, her eyes running with water. "No, Mom, I won't go. Please, stop.Marriane's hands began to shake, and she heaved a sigh, her will crumbled. She couldn't do this in front of her daughter. The gun made its way down as her face filled with regret. Police, who had been waiting for just such an opportunity, moved quickly forward, removing the gun from her hand while handcuffs
A decade later, Victor stood with a much rounder man in the port of Shanghai, looking toward the docks at crates being loaded off the large ship. The air was heavy with the smell of saltwater and diesel, the hum of machinery in the air as Victor's sharp eyes scanned the activity around him.How many crates is that?" he asked; his voice showed steady, though a hint of suspicion was not absent in the tone.The man standing beside him-the one in the ill-fitting suit that strained against his bulk-wiped the sweat from his brow. "Twenty-five thousand crates, worth about thirty million dollars.Victor grumbled, while he was not happy. "It is not about the money," he said to me, eyes fixed on the workers. "I just hope it's not like last time. I was short by nearly five thousand crates. That kind of mistake just cannot happen again.The man laughed but his face fell serious. "I still do not understand how that happened. We checked the numbers. Everything was right on paper."Yeah, well, it's
Stephen sat opposite Victor in the cramped office at the back of the pharmacy. There was no noise but the 'tick-tick' of the wall clock. Stephen leaned back, crossing his arms. His glasses reflected the dim light of the office, though his eyes never left Victor's."I wasn't expecting you," Stephen finally said in hushed tones.Victor gave him a taut smile, one that didn't reach the eyes. "Neither was I planning on visiting."Stephen furrowed his brow, not knowing where this was leading to. "So, what do you want, Victor?"Victor squirmed in his chair; his keen eyes locked with Stephen's. "It's simple. Someone's been stealing from me. Messing with my business."Stephen's eyebrow rose, but he kept still. "You are accusing me of something? You think I know about it?"Victor shook his head. "No, I'm not here for that."Stephen waited, watching him closely. "Then why are you here? You don't have to come all the way out here to tell me somebody's messing with your business."Victor sighed, r
Enoch sat opposite a businessman, tension between them now replaced with agreement. The man slid the paper across the table, and Enoch grabbed the pen in his firm hand and signed his name."It's nice to be in business with you," the businessman said calmly but firmly.Enoch gave a slight nod, extending his hand. They shook them, firm grips. As they did, there was the flash of cameras popping in the background to capture the moment for the press. Enoch straightened his suit, adjusting his tie-all neutral for the cameras. But inside, his mind was already moving to the next task.The instant the photographs were taken, Enoch turned and went toward his office. His gait was measured and sure, as if all that was around him was already accounted for. The din of the press was dampened behind him as he swung the door open to his office, softly closing it behind him.Inside, the room was in silence. Enoch let out a deep breath, relaxing into his chair. He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling
The door creaked open, and Enoch's assistant peeked in, a little sheepish. "Sir, the package has come."Victor and Stephen exchanged a quick look. Silent, Enoch stood, his face set, and walked out of the office. The stride now was brisker, more confident, without the casualness that had marked their progress to this point. Victor and Stephen went directly behind Enoch.As they neared the place of delivery, Enoch noticed a tall man standing beside a crate, looking apparently uneasy. The man was all soaked in sweat, and his hands were quivering along his sides."Biggy?" Victor stuttered, quite surprised and suspicious all at once. The man began to flinch upon the pronouncement of his name and darting his eyes from Victor to Enoch."W-what are you doing here?" Biggy stuttered out, his voice shaking in fear.Enoch turned to Victor, whose eyes had now narrowed. "You know him?"Victor nodded, his face going hard. "Biggy works for me. He's in charge of the distribution of my goods."Stephen
The door creaked open, and Enoch's assistant peered inside a bit warily. "Sir, the package has arrived."Victor and Stephen exchanged a wordless glance. In dead silence, Enoch rose to his feet, his face somber, and strode from the office. He moved more rapidly now, urgency the counterpoint to confident expectation. Victor and Stephen were hard on his heels.As they drew near the delivery area, Enoch noticed a towering man beside a crate, shifting uneasily. He was sweating profusely, with twitching hands hanging at his sides."Biggy?" Victor called in surprise and suspicion. He started at the mention of his name, darting his eyes between Victor and Enoch."W-what are you doing here?" he stuttered low, as fear wrapped itself around his vocal cords.Enoch turned to Victor, his eyes slanting. "You know him?"Victor nodded, his face hard. "Biggy works for me. He is in charge of the distribution for my goods."Stephen took another step closer, his eyes warily eyeing Biggy. Biggy's face lost