The next morning, Victor woke up groggily and dragged himself into the kitchen. He began to prepare coffee, but this seemed gigantic. His head throbbed, his body pained, the sunlight was far too bright through the window, and the usual hum in the house sounded like a roar in his ears.Ariane swept past him, her steps light, and carefree, and he fumbled with the coffee maker. She was already dressed for school, her hair neatly drawn back, and slung a backpack over her wiry shoulder. "Good morning, Dad," she replied with an air, hardly glancing at him as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.Absently, Stephen nodded as he turned on his phone. There, the mission notification flickered across the screen: *Protect your daughter.* From what? He wished he knew. Then, his train of thought was interrupted by Yuna's soft voice, overflowing with concern."Good morning, Mr. Stephen," she greeted him with a smile. "You're okay, aren't you? You look sick."Stephen smiled belligerently, his un
Stephen's heart raced as their eyes connected. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice both steady and urgent.The waiter's nervous glances sent shivers down his spine as the man shifted on his feet. "I was hired for this event," he muttered, "we need to chat someplace private."Before Stephen could say a word, the head of security walked up—a large man with a brutal face. "What has happened here?" he asked, observing them with a superstitiously condemnatory eye.Stephen turned around to face him, trying to keep his voice composed. "Does this guy work here?" he asked, gesturing at the server, who still held his arm.The security guard nodded, gazing at the server. "Yeah—they're on the list."Stephen connected the dots. If this server was legitimate, Stephen couldn't have poisoned the drink unless he was under threat or force. "Where did you get the drinks from?" Stephen pressed, letting go but not of suspicion.The server pointed to another area where drinks were being served, a kind of
Stephen presided at the dining table, nursing his cup of coffee, while morning sunlight filtering into the kitchen window blended with his thoughts. Well, they were all about Victor. It was too easy, too clean. Some part of Stephen felt that something in Victor's surrender did not fit—like a jigsaw puzzle piece. He leaned back, rubbing his temples. Persuasion wouldn't work on Victor; he knew the system. But Charles? Ah, Charles was an entirely different matter. If he could get Charles to talk, perhaps he could discover what was really going on.This reverie was broken by an impatient cry from Ariane. "Mom, I'm going to be late for school!"Marianne's voice drifted down the hallway. "I'm coming!" A moment later, the scent of her perfume preceded her as she squeezed past Stephen. "I'm dropping Ariane at school," she said, settling her purse onto her shoulder.Stephen's face darkened. "Just Ariane? What about Yuna?"Marianne, much fatigued by the display of emotions, sighed. "Yuna refuse
Stephen sat back in his chair in the doctor's office as relief washed over him with the doctor's reassurance: "Everything is fine. Ariane didn't get burned by the fire at all. She's going to be okay. It was just the fear that made her pass out."Stephen let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank God. And Marianne?""A small burn on her arm, nothing serious," the doctor replied. "We will monitor her for a while, but she should be fine."Stephen nodded, and then the mind began to put forth questions concerning how that fire started. He glanced outside the office—the glass door—over at Marianne sitting with her eyes lost in thoughts in the waiting area. He thanked the doctor and promised he would see to the payment before leaving the office.Relief washed over him as he approached Marianne, mingling with a flush of anger. "How did it start?" he asked, trying to modulate his voice and failing to mask his agitation.Marianne's gaze rose to his—her eyes red and perplexed. "How a
By the time Stephen, Marianne, Ariane, and Yuna got back to the luxury penthouse, it was night. Stephen took Ariane to her room and demanded she rest, considering what had transpired at the doctor's office. Marianne delayed in the hallway with Yuna, her attitude suddenly changing.She spun on Yuna, her eyes flashing with an anger that made the young girl step back. "Don't flatter yourself for one second that you're from anywhere good to come in and try to take over my family," Marianne growled, her voice slicing through the quiet of the hallway.Yuna's wide eyes stared up at Marianne as the girl was clearly shaken by the sudden hostility. "I-I don't want to control anything, Mrs. Stephens," Yuna stuttered nervously.Marianne's eyes narrowed. "Don't play innocent with me. If you ever try to meddle again, get out for it. Stephen won't tolerate it." The voice was so low, threatening; Yuna did not feel a single line of defense was left on her.Turning her back--and so rudely at that--Yuna
Stephen stormed in the corridors of the empire, his head swimming with so many things. That was when Enoch intercepted him in great concern. Stephen had known Enoch for a long time; he was a very close associate and confidante."Stephen, I was beginning to get worried you wouldn't show up," he admitted, concern trickling in his tone.Stephen nodded hardly at Enoch's words as he pushed open the door to his office—the weight of recent happenings bearing heavily on him. Enoch followed quietly, picking up on the weight in Stephen's mood."What would you do when your family is threatened, and the prime suspect happens to be your ex-wife?" Stephen asked suddenly, looking into the distance.Enoch was startled by this but saw how solemn Stephen's face was. "Well, I would thoroughly question her and put her on absolutely strict observation for a while," he said cautiously."Strict observation," repeated Stephen, testing how the words felt in his mouth. Inside, his mind raced at the thought of
Stephen could not help smiling at Ariane, who was screaming with enormous excitement as the luxurious boat was arriving tenderly to the harbor. "It's beautiful, Daddy!" she said, her eyes wide with wonder at the yacht as it came to dock very gracefully.Here Stephen nodded, taking in the fine vessel before holding still as it came to a stop. A set of stairs was lowered for passengers to embark, and as the captain announced that all were welcome aboard, other travelers began to arrive.Among them was the radiant Marianne in her holiday best, laughing gaily with the young people around her. Stephen's look by her was one of scorn and despair, from the time past, yet now resolute to have this family vacation work.Pacing just behind her, flushed with nervousness despite the act he put on to the contrary, Yuna was right on Marianne's heels. He kept insisting that it would be good for her to tag along, and that he knew she was wary of Marianne, of all people, so he hoped that this trip wou
Enoch smiled to his satisfaction as the trucks belonging to the new furniture company arrived in front of the Empire Building. Large containers were filled with sleek new office furniture and all the latest equipment to bring transformation into that old space. Enoch felt a deep sense of accomplishment."Be careful with that," he called out to the movers as they began unloading, his firm but friendly tone belying his excited pacing around the delivery. "This stuff isn't cheap."One of them looked up at him then and nodded. "We'll take good care of it, sir."Enoch's chest swelled with pride. Stephen was out of town on holiday, so Enoch took the reins, and this big office refurbishment was a giant step to stamp his authority. It had cost a staggering 30 million dollars, though he felt every cent well worth it. The upgrades would reflect his taste, but more than that, they would symbolize his new role as the head of the empire.As the last of the items were signed for, and the delivery c