As the two officers escorted Norman through the city streets toward the police station, curious onlookers gathered, whispering and snapping pictures.
The acting Mayor, in handcuffs—how could this be? Amid the crowd's murmurs, Norman remained unfazed. Instead, it was the officers escorting him who lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with the townspeople, as though they were the ones guilty of a crime. As they arrived at the station and were about to escort Norman inside, a convoy suddenly pulled up, halting directly in front of them. The officers caught sight of the license plate on the lead vehicle and immediately froze, their faces shifting into expressions of involuntary panic. It was Chief Bethany's car. The high-ceilinged lobby of the police station fell silent as Chief Bethany entered. The officers straightened instinctively, her reputation of iron discipline preceding her. With every step, she commanded respect—sharp suit, polished boots, and an unbreakable gaze. Bethany was headed to her office when she spotted an unexpected sight: Norman, escorted by two junior officers. Her eyes widened. She immediately changed direction, walking briskly to meet him. “Mr. Norman,” she greeted warmly, voice laced with respect. “What brings you here? Anything you need, I’m at your service.” Norman gave her a slight nod, his eyes calm and untroubled, as if he had merely stopped by for routine business. But as she reached out, her hand paused mid-air. She noticed the cold glint of handcuffs around his wrists. Her expression hardened in shock. “What’s the meaning of this?” Her voice turned sharp, her gaze fixed on Officer Paul. "Why is Mr. Norman in handcuffs?" Paul shifted nervously, unable to meet her eyes. "Chief, uh… orders from the Mayor’s office. Miss Lana presented evidence of, uh, bribery and embezzlement." Bethany’s face tightened, disbelief clear in her eyes. Embezzlement? Bribery? Without warning, Bethany slapped Paul. Hard. The crack echoed through the lobby, and all movement ceased. “Are you insane?” she hissed. “Officer Paul, do you understand the gravity of this accusation? Mr. Norman is the last person to be accused of such things!" Her voice dropped to a low, threatening tone. "Do you realize what this could do to you, to all of us? This man is why Valkoria City functions! The reason you have jobs, and the reason there’s any order in this city at all. And you treat him like a criminal?” Paul glanced briefly at Norman before looking down, his voice barely a whisper. "Chief, I’m just following orders. The Mayor’s orders." The Mayor’ order? Bethany frowned deeply. Norman was engaged to his daughter—why would he suddenly order his arrest? Didn’t he understand how important Norman was to this city? Or… could he have some ulterior motive? Bethany clenched her fists. "Have you forgotten about the Bloodmoon Clan, Officer?" A flicker of pain crossed Paul’s face. A year ago, the city was terrorized by a dangerous underground organization, called the “Bloodmoon Clan” , constantly kidnapping young ladies, who were forced to work as strippers, some sold off to wealthy merchants. Paul's sister was among the captives, the entire police department engaged in battle with the Bloodmoon Clan, but they were no match, they couldn't get back the girls. Paul remembered how he was devastated at that moment. Many officers lost their lives during that period. But Norman, with unwavering resolve, had single handedly forced the Bloodmoon Clan to retreat, rescuing all the girls safely. They called him "The Executioner" after that. After defeating the Bloodmoon Clan, everyone was grateful and shocked, as Norman returned from the Bloodmoon Clan's headquarters unscratched and the entire clan bowed to him, offering him the entire money they made from their illegal business in exchange for his forgiveness. Norman accepted nothing, suggesting all the money should be given to orphanages and public schools across the city. How could such a man take a bribe? Bethany’s gaze bored into Paul. "How could you possibly believe this nonsense about him accepting bribes?” Her fist was clenched, her fury visible. Paul shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet her eyes. He respected Norman; he knew the accusations were likely false. But his hands were tied. This was an order from the Mayor himself, he was scared of endangering his family by refusing the orders. Bethany was about to say more, but Norman held up a hand, his expression calm. "It’s alright, Bethany. I’ll be fine." Bethany paused, the tension in her voice softening. "Mr. Norman—" "I promise. Go ahead and arrange the cell. I could use a bit of rest." He understood that Paul was not to be blamed, he was obviously forced to do this, resisting the Mayor's order, could put him in a lot of trouble. This shouldn't be new, the weak are always controlled by those with powers to do their dirty jobs, Norman understood this too well. Bethany couldn't understand Norman's expression, he spoke and acted so calm, like he was going on a vacation. No one could really understand what was going on in his mind, and that's what made him mysterious and dangerous. She took a deep breath, nodding reluctantly. If anything happened to Norman, Valkoria City itself might be at risk. The police department, the Mayor—they all owed their stability to him. "I’ll do as you ask, Mr. Norman. Please accept my apologies. This… This is a disgrace. I’ll see to it immediately.”Bethany said respectfully, her expression laced with regret. “Before you enter your cell, is there anything you want me to do for you? I will do anything you request.” Norman hesitated before finally nodding. "Actually, yes. I’d like to visit the mountains.” "The mountains?" Bethany repeated, thrown off. The mountains were near the border between Valkoria and Eldrida—the Bloodmoon Clan’s former territory. Since the Clan’s defeat, no one from Valkoria had dared cross that boundary. But Bethany wouldn’t question Norman’s intentions. "Alright, Mr. Norman. I’ll arrange a helicopter." She gestured to her subordinates, signaling for them to prepare. As they moved, she slipped her phone from her pocket, dialing Deputy Mayor Harris. She couldn't just sit back, as the Chief police officer, it was equally her responsibility to be sure of a crime free environment for everyone. Harris picked up after the second ring. "Chief Bethany. What’s going on?" "Mr. Harris, are you aware that Mr. Norman has been arrested?" She heard the shock in his voice. "What? Arrested? No, I hadn’t heard a word." Bethany’s suspicions deepened. "I thought as much. Can you investigate why the Mayor ordered his arrest? Something’s not adding up here." "Consider it done."When Norman was in the police station, a black Mercedes-Benz pulled up smoothly in front of The Grand Heavens, Valkoria’s most prestigious hotel. Known for its unmatched luxury, it was a place where only the wealthiest elites could even think about reserving a room. Tonight, however, Lana, her father Lucas, and her new boyfriend, Henry, were here to celebrate their recent success. As they stepped out, Lana tightened her grip on Henry’s arm, proudly presenting him to her father. Henry, dressed impeccably in a custom-fitted suit, looked every bit the part of a wealthy young man from Capital City. As they stepped into the lobby of The Grand Heavens, Mr. Divine, the hotel manager, approached them quickly, a wide smile breaking his typically stoic face. “Mayor Lucas, Miss Lana,” he greeted warmly. “It’s a pleasure to welcome you here. We’ve made arrangements for you in our finest suite.” Lana raised a brow, surprised. Divine had barely acknowledged her the last time she was here,
Seeing that their little lies would be exposed, Lucas intervened. “We have proof, but it's not here. You can see we're in Grand heavens, is this the right time to talk about this?”Harris shook his head. Arresting Norman was a grave mistake. And he hoped this wouldn't bring the downfall of Valkoria. “Removing Norman as the acting Mayor is a big mistake, Mayor Lucas.”Henry, seeing the opportunity, chimed in. “I will be the new Mayor.”“And who are you?” Harris turned to him and scoffed, but his grave expression remained.“I am the second son of the Havord family from the Capital City. I'm sure you will know about my family, we're among the elites of—”Harris rolled his eyes and cut him short. “I clearly don't know who nor your family is, and I don't care either. And for that position you're clearly not fit for it!” He said coldly.“How dare you!” Henry gritted his teeth.Lucas was also displeased with Harris’s behavior towards Henry. “Henry is right, he'll be the next acting Mayor.”
“He committed bribery and embezzlement. So I got him arrested.” Lana responded proudly.Donald was getting annoyed by her gestures. “How's that possible, Mr. Norman would never do—”“Well maybe he's just been pretending, hiding in the shadows. A hypocrite and a liar!” Lana interrupted Donald from completing his speech.Donald had been tolerating her disrespect because she was Norman's fiancee, but with what he was hearing he had no reason to remain nice anymore. “Mr. Norman is a good man, he'll never do such a thing!” Grand heavens was worth a billion dollars, and yet Norman bluntly refused 90% of the shares. How can such a man accept a bribe?Lana boiled in rage, she hated the way Donald was defending Norman. “You think you know him better than I do?” She gestured, her fingers pointing at Donald's chest. “He's my ex, and if I say he's a criminal then he is. He's a corrupt pest!” She exclaimed.“You're getting too arrogant. And I'm afraid, your meals are no longer complimentary, you'
Meanwhile, at a mountainous landscape. A helicopter landed gracefully, Norman, Bethany and two other escorts stepped out. The Mountains were a little farther, crossing the territory of both nations. So technically they were still in Valkoria, about 20 ft away from Eldrida. Norman sighed deeply, staring at the mountains. About to climb up before a noise caught his attention. He heard angry voices echoing down the dirt path. He turned to see a group of seven men surrounding an elderly villager. The old man was holding onto a small wooden crate, his knuckles white from gripping it so tightly.“Come on, old man,” one of them sneered, his tone dripping with menace. “Hand it over. Don’t make this difficult.”“These are my supplies!” the old man protested, his voice trembling. “Materials for my clothing shop. I’ve been waiting weeks for this delivery. My name’s even written on the box! You’ve got the wrong person.”The apparent leader of the group chuckled darkly, taking a step closer. “Wro
The men exchanged panicked glances, their earlier confidence evaporating. They had been caught red-handed, and now they realized their worst fears were standing before them.Norman’s gaze swept over the scene—the beaten villagers, the scattered goods, and the trembling spies. His expression hardened.“Who were you trying to silence?” Norman asked, his expression darkened, and his tone dangerous.Immediately all seven soldiers dropped their knees. “Please forgive us, Executioner. We've made a terrible mistake crossing the border.”The residents all came out, immediately they saw Norman. Their hero had come to save them, like he always did.Norman’s eyes narrowed. “Mistake? Crossing into Valkoria, beating innocent people, stealing their goods—these are not mistakes. Who sent you? Was it the president of Eldrida?”The men were trembling. They were in fact a spy, sent to check if the defenses of Valkoria were as strong as before. If their defenses over this area had weakened, their next
Noticing how their cars were covered with snow, it meant these men had been waiting for him all night. Bethany was at the corner, mouth widened in shock. She never knew Norman had connections outside of Valkoria.Although Norman suspected their visit was more than just to escort him, so he asked. “Just to escort me?”The leader of the men sweat, he stammered. “And also…to ask for your pardon for what our soldiers did yesterday. It was against the law, and we greatly apologize.” He said, bowing his head lower.The men came to two reasons, to apologize and to make sure Norman wasn't very angry, and wasn't planning to attack Eldrida. The entire Eldrida force isn't ready for an enemy like the Executioner. He could single handedly wipe them out if he wanted to.Stacey's mouth dropped open, she was shocked in utter disbelief. Norman had disfigured seven of the Eldrida’s soldier's legs. And yet they still came to apologize against his wrath?“It's okay, as long as your soldiers won't repeat
After hours of traveling, Norman and Bethany finally returned to the police station. Bethany walked inside, glancing around with a worried expression, her gaze moving from one cell to the next. Each cell looked the same: plain metal beds, hard mattresses, cold walls. She bit her lip, trying to imagine Norman spending even a night here, and it didn’t sit right.She began pacing, glancing at the narrow bunks and concrete floors, her hands threading anxiously through her hair. She couldn’t let him stay in these conditions; it felt wrong. Even though Norman had assured her more than once, “I’ll be fine, any cell will do,” Bethany refused to listen. She needed to make this right—this was her way of showing her respect.Bethany decided she wouldn’t settle for anything ordinary; she wanted to make things right. She arranged for the finest linens, the kind reserved for luxury suites, and layered the bed with plush pillows and a cashmere blanket that exuded warmth and comfort.Next, she brough
At the Ryders Villa, Lucas walked in with some documents in an envelope.Lana and Henry stood up from the coach when they saw him. “Dad, did you find anything?” Lana asked eagerly, her eyes glinting with anticipation.They had been looking for ways to bring down Norman totally. Norman's influence was undeniably great in Valkoria, with his sudden arrest it could cause commotion in the city, if they didn't have enough evidence to back up their accusations. Just yesterday they had been confronted by Mr. Harris and Donald had confronted them immediately they heard the news. Donald even went as far as refusing to waive their bill.And with the looks of things, the city would soon turn against them if they didn't act quick.“Mr. Lucas, did you figure out anything?” Henry also asked, he was fully concerned, after all if everything goes smoothly, he'll be the next acting Mayor.“Yes, I've got something.” Lucas said with a smirk.“Really?” Lana was revealed by the response.Lucas sat down on t