As Allen stormed back to his house, he fumed all the way, not caring if anyone stopped to look at him raging like an angered best which they did. "I'll show Stephanie." He blurted out like a spoilt child. "I'm going to prove to her that I'm not into anything shady and all my money is legit. "But first I have to leave this shack of a home," Allen said to himself and finally got to his house after several minutes of walking, he finally got to his destination. He barged in through the door and immediately started gathering his things. —Don't slam your door too hard or you might bring it down—"I'm not in the mood to talk right now, Ultimate." Allen blurted out and there was silence immediately save for the pushing of furniture and scraping of luggage on the floor. After some seconds, Allen suddenly stopped and lifted his gaze from what he was doing at hand. "You keep quiet!"—Wasn't that what you asked me to do?— Ultimate questioned sarcastically. Allen shook his head and turned bac
Allen stepped into the car dealership, filled with excitement and anticipation. He was excited that he could finally buy his dream carBut as he approached the salesperson, a slick-looking man in an expensive suit, Allen's confidence started to waver. The man's eyes slid over Allen from head to toe, and he felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as Allen realized the man was judging him based on his worn-out sneakers and faded jeans."Good afternoon, sir," the man said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. As Allen approached the salesman, it was clear that the man was not impressed by his appearance. Dressed in a worn-out t-shirt and ripped jeans, Allen was a stark contrast to the salesman's crisp suit and shiny shoes."Good afternoon, sir," the salesman said, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Can I help you?"Allen tried to sound confident, but his voice quivered a little as he spoke. "Yes, I'm here to buy a car. A very expensive car."The salesman raised an eyebrow, his skepticism evid
Allen's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the steaming plate of lasagna before him. It wasn't just about the food anymore; it was about trust, about vulnerability. His hand trembled slightly as he wrestled with the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. Memories of how Valerie had treated him in the past flickered through his mind like a slideshow, each one a sharp pang of pain reminding him of the wounds Valerie had inflicted. How could he possibly be entangled with someone who made him lose his job and due to that, he was unable to raise any money to pay for his mother's hospital bills and free his sister from the clutches of those despicable loan sharks? Could he dare to believe that this time might be different? That perhaps, just perhaps, Valerie had changed? Or was he setting himself up for yet another fall, another crushing disappointment?As he hesitated, Allen couldn't help but wonder if he was overthinking things. Maybe it was just lasagna, after all. But deep
One afternoon, Stephanie set off towards Serenity Crest Estate, her thoughts racing with questions and doubt. She couldn't believe that her brother, Allen, had moved into such an affluent neighborhood. She had thought that he was lying about the whole issue of buying a house at Serenity Crest estate but when she passed by his house, she saw that the building had already been taken down as it was not fit for a human to live in. She made up her mind to immediately confirm it herself as she was already hearing things from people close to herself that he had moved out. The estate, after all, was home to the wealthiest individuals in the country. Yet, if the rumors circulating about her brother were true, he was indeed living there.As she approached the gated entrance of the estate, her heart raced with a mix of curiosity and unease. The imposing iron gates seemed to symbolize the divide between the rich and the rest of the world.Stephanie took a deep breath and stepped forward, she to
Allen ushered her into the house himself while his assistant trailed behind them ogling at the way the siblings were all over each other. Allen quickly ordered a maid to whip something for Stephanie to eat since she was coming from a pretty far distance. "You have a maid now?" Stephanie asked, expressing her surprise. "Well yes," Allen answered. "I've got quite a lot of hands to help around here," he said, gesturing to the house. "How can you afford to pay them?" She asked again. "Well I can," he answered again as if he had already gotten used to the life of luxury but the fact was that he couldn't be everywhere at once and the work in the house was overwhelming. "The food is ready sir," the maid, Allen had instructed to prepare food for Stephanie. Stephanie spun her toward Allen. "They even refer to you as sir, Allen!" Stephanie said in a playful tone and Allen roared out with laughter. "it's not my fault. I wanted to get them to stop calling me that but they won't, so I just
"You haven't told me who that is?" Stephanie asked when they were back in the living room. "Who?" "The man who walked in before me," Stephanie said to him. "Oh him, that's my business partner, we have some kind of meeting," Allen informed her. "Just the two of you?" Stephanie's curiosity was piqued as she shot her eyes open at Allen wondering how he had gotten to the stage where he was now business partners they even breezed in and out of the house like they were housemates but she knew that was not the fact. As she waited for Allen to respond to her question, she tried to remember what the man had looked like. She couldn't exactly place a finger on his facial features but she remembered that the man had worn a very stern look the moment he got out of the car. The look on his face had scared her to the marrow. "No, me and a few other people," Allen said in a way that made Stephanie look at him suspiciously. She moved closer to him, hoping that the others around wouldn't hear wh
It was a typical afternoon at the estate, the sun shining brightly over the well-manicured lawns and gardens. But for Stephanie, something felt off. She couldn't place her finger on it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.Her stomach was growling so she decided to go to the kitchen to fix something up for herself to eat. She stepped into the large kitchen and looked around instead of whipping something up like she had intended. "Woah, this place is so huge!" She said to herself as she continued to look around. She walked up to where the plates were racked and ran her hands over the plates. The only place she had seen these kinds of cutlery was in movies. "I'm not sure I can ever get used to this." She said, smiling to herself. "Do you need something, madam?" The maid's voice startled Stephanie and she spun around to look the maid in the eye. "Uhm." Stephanie searched her head for what to say but no words were forthcoming. Even though the place wh
The man was shrouded in darkness, his face obscured by a mask of shadows. Stephanie was utterly shocked as she turned around to find a man standing in the hallway. How had she not heard him when he walked up behind her?Stephanie wanted to mistake him for one of Allen's business partners but the look in her eyes told her otherwise. She stood frozen, her breath quickening in fear as he approached, his footsteps quiet but determined."Don't move," he whispered, his voice low and threatening. "If you scream, I'll kill you."Stephanie felt a hand cover her mouth, stifling her gasp of surprise.The man's grip was strong, his fingers digging into her skin. He dragged her into the hallway where no one would hear them as muffled screams escaped her lips. The man's grip tightened, his fingers digging painfully into Stephanie's flesh. She struggled against his grasp, but he was too strong, his hold unyielding.She could feel his breath hot on her neck, his body pressed against hers. His prese