Stephen took a deep breath, adjusted his tie, and began to prepare for dinner at the restaurant on the yacht. Ariane was bouncing, her eyes wide with excitement. And Marianne, as always so elegant, was having the final touches of her makeup done as he caught her pleased smirk in the vanity mirror."Yuna, aren't you coming along?" Stephen asked, watching the young woman lingering at the door, her eyes darting nervously to Marianne.Yuna shook her head; her voice shook. "No…I don't feel very good today, some stomach ache," she stammered and further did not raise her eyes.Stephen frowned, his concern deepening. "You sure? You shouldn't be alone here. It's not safe.""She says she's not feeling well, Stephen," Marianne broke in, her voice tones dismissive. "Let's not force her. We really must go."Ariane pulled on her father's sleeve with a restless whine. "Daddy, come on! We're going to be late!"Stephen heaved a sigh as the mix of worry over Yuna and pressure to move on pressed in on h
The waiter arrived to take their plates away, and Stephen had just cleaned his plate. Still in thought about Yuna, he looked up and said, "I'd like to order spaghetti, two chicken dishes with sauce to go, please."Marianne's eyebrow went up. "Who is it for, Stephen? We have all just eaten."Stephen's brain raced. "That would be for Yuna. She might be getting hungry; she did not look that well earlier."Marianne sighed and shook her head. "You worry too much. She's probably fine."He ignored her and eyed the waiter as he scribbled down the order and then left. In no time, the bill came—$150k. He sighed inwardly. Dinner on a luxury yacht was really very dear. He slid in his hand to find his wallet missing. He had left it in the cabin on the bed. Panic rushed in."I forgot my ATM card," Stephen said, standing up suddenly. "I'll just be a minute."Marianne frowned. "Stephen, really?""I won't be long," he said before he hurriedly left the restaurant.Stephen quickened his gait back toward
Stephen returned with his ATM card in hand. He passed it to the waiter, who did whatever he did on his acceptor to deduct the 150k from his account. Marianne frowned and brought her eyes to a squint at him."What's all that about, Stephen?" she asked, her voice sharp.Stephen sighed inwardly, trying not to lose his cool. "Yuna was missing. I found her on the top deck with Charles.""Charles? As in Charles Monogamy?" Marianne's eyebrows rose, surprise mixed with suspicion. "What's he doing here?""That's what I'm trying to figure out," Stephen replied, forcing the knot of frustration tightening his chest to stay ignored. "Let's just get back to the cabin."They walked back in silence, the air thick with tension between them. As they neared the door, Marianne couldn't hold back anymore. "Stephen, this is getting ridiculous. First, Yuna, now Charles. What is going on?"Stephen turned to face her, his face tired. "Marianne, you wouldn't understand. All you seem to do is enjoy this lavish
Enoch's heart was racing as he threw on his clothes. His thoughts came, one more panicked than the next. He barked at the two girls sprawled on the floor as he buttoned his shirt. "Get up and get out. Party's over."The girls stirred, grumbling as they gathered their things. The mess around him—pizza boxes, empty bottles, discarded clothing—helped increase his feeling of urgency. He surveyed the trashed living room before he let out a sigh. "I'm going to have to hire a cleaner," he muttered. "And that costs money. just like the $1.5 million we just lost."He couldn't but swear at his luck when the girls stumbled out. "Why doesn't the system choose me? Stephen's got it all: a surefire way to bring in unlimited cash. No, it's always Stephen." His anger mounted with every step toward Victor's garage.The sight of the exotic cars parked inside momentarily distracted him. Victor had always had good taste. Enoch stroked a hand over the sleek hood of one car, whistling at its design. "Man, V
Charles sat in the chair without ever losing his smirk, and Stephen felt his anger surge. "I don't remember telling you to sit," Stephen said with a voice like ice.Charles leaned back in his chair and said, completely undaunted, "Cool off, Stephen, we're all chums here, aren't we?"Stephen was opening his mouth to respond when Marianne broke in with her calm, courteous tones, "Charles, would you care for something to drink or eat?Stephen chuckled to himself. When did Marianne become a hostess to uninvited guests? He pushed the thought aside and focused on Charles. "Let's cut to the chase, Charles. What's with the visit?"Charles sighed, his eyes drifting to his black cat, now purring contentedly as Yuna stroked it. "I came to discuss some business, Stephen."Stephen's eyes turned hard. "Business? In my cabin on any yacht, and in the midst of family?Charles shrugged. "Sometimes business can't wait. And besides, I thought you'd appreciate a little company."Marianne laid a light palm
Enoch sat in his office, trying to help the documents from his table not to be blown away by the fan. He tried, but some fluttered to the floor and scattered like fallen leaves. He muttered to himself, "Damn office. Since morning I have been here attending to these requests and issues. Running an empire isn't easy. Stephen is trying," he whispered, shaking his head with anger tempered by respect for the colleague.This was broken by his phone suddenly starting to ring. "Who's calling me now?" he growled, ignoring the call as it cut off. Turning back to the papers with a sigh, he slumped into his office chair, etching weariness all over his face. "If only I could just fix all this," he said in exhaustion.Suddenly, he looked up to find a figure standing in front of him. The presence was suitably quiet; the man was dressed in some type of uniform. "Who are you?" Enoch inquired, his voice laced with suspicion.The man advanced, quite calm in demeanor. "Do you need a little help?" He pick
Clarke's eyes gleamed with a hunting light. "Many people don't know about the system, Enoch. Your surprise is understandable, but I'm not here to watch you be surprised. I need you to tell me what you know about the system."Enoch ignored him, standing to his feet and opening the door, indicting that Clarke should leave his office. "Get out," he said coldly.Clarke didn't flinch. "How did you control the system?"That question made Enoch stop. "What do you mean, control?"He suddenly remembered back at the courthouse when he had somehow managed to seize control of the system. He looked at Clarke while closing the door so that nobody would hear their conversation. Now he seemed interested, eager to know more. "How did you know about the system that I could control?"Seeing his surprised face, Clarke added, "I'll return with whatever help you need, plus a free bonus on top of it."Enoch raised an eyebrow. "What could that be?""I'll help you get Stephen out of the way," said Clarke, smi
Stephen stood at the edge of the dock, looking out over the sea, dark and calm. A strange glow emanated from the glints of moonlight on the water, eerily reflecting his troubled thoughts. Had it all been a setup, as Charles said? Or was Charles leading him astray? Either way, it got under his skin. He pulled out his phone to call Enoch again; again, no answer. "Where are you?" he muttered desperately, his chest tight with anxiety. He hoped that nothing wrong would come about their sailing back to the city. The vacation was ending, and he spent treasured moments with his daughter, Ariane. There shouldn't be any danger, yet that feeling seemed to niggle away at him. Perhaps it was a mistake in the system.Ariane and Yuna were inside the cabin. Ariane was fiddling with her tablet, but after some time, she felt bored. She looked at Yuna. "I'm bored. Let's explore the yacht."Yuna shook her head. "Your dad said we shouldn't leave the cabin."Ariane made a face. "But it's boring in here. My