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BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 37
That night, Arthur lounged in his leather chair, swirling a glass of expensive whiskey as he opened his phone with a smug grin. He had been waiting for this moment all day. The scandal he orchestrated against Samuel had taken social media by storm, and he was eager to witness the flood of negative comments tearing Samuel’s reputation apart.As his screen lit up, the top headline did indeed feature Samuel’s name, but the moment Arthur read it, the glass nearly slipped from his fingers.“BREAKING: Leaked Audio Exposes Arthur’s Blackmail and Fake Scandal Setup!”His stomach lurched. His pulse pounded in his ears as he tapped on the article with trembling fingers.Complete audio recordings of Arthur threatening the young woman released to the public.Evidence of fabricated videos uncovered.The anonymous team behind the video confesses and issues a public apology, citing mysterious external pressure.Arthur’s blood ran cold.“No… No, no, no—this can’t be real,” he muttered under his breat
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 38
Joey paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, his thoughts swirling like a storm. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind, filled with legal battles, political scheming, and threats lurking around every corner. Samuel, the man who had once been a feared figure, was now trapped in a prison cell. And despite his best efforts, Joey couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation bearing down on him.He knew Samuel’s bail had been set at an astronomical $700 million, a sum so large that it felt almost impossible to imagine. But even more perplexing was the fact that Lisa and Arthur had done everything in their power to keep Samuel locked up, and they weren’t going to let him go easily. They had connections, influence, and money. Samuel’s release would be nothing short of a miracle.But then came the unexpected. A figure had appeared in the midst of the chaos, a woman who had already managed to shake up the situation. FL2, the mysterious woman with an even more mysterious past, had d
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 39
The air outside the prison felt different as Samuel stepped through the gates. The oppressive weight of the cell walls that had confined him for weeks, the endless days of uncertainty, were finally gone. But as the cool evening breeze brushed his skin, something unexpected hit him—a strange mix of calm and exhilaration. It was freedom, but it came at a price. He had barely had time to process what had happened, but one thing was clear: he was back, and this time, it would be on his own terms.As his boots hit the pavement, the heavy thud echoed in the otherwise quiet space. It felt almost too still—like everyone was waiting for something to happen. Samuel glanced around, his sharp eyes scanning the area.Then he saw it.A small crowd had gathered just outside the gates, but it wasn’t just any crowd. These weren’t the kind of people you’d expect to see gathered around a recently released prisoner. No, these were influential figures, well-dressed individuals who clearly had money and po
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 40
Joey sat at his desk, staring at the stack of paperwork in front of him, though his mind was far away. The prison release had been surreal. One minute, Samuel was in a high-security cell, and the next, he was walking out as though the past few months hadn’t happened at all. There was no public outcry, no protests—just Samuel, free, greeted by a crowd of supporters who seemed more like admirers, and Joey couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.Everything had been so calculated, so smooth. Samuel had always been a man of influence, but this—this was something else. It wasn’t just his usual circle. Joey had seen the figures standing in the crowd: political figures, wealthy elites, even a few people he recognized from business circles. Samuel’s release didn’t just symbolize his freedom; it symbolized something much bigger, something Joey couldn’t see yet.And that bothered him.“Hey,” a voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Sarah, or FL2 as everyone called her, st
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 41
Joey stared at the stack of files in front of him, but they didn’t make any sense. The information was there, but his mind kept circling back to one thought: This is all part of something bigger. Samuel’s release, the high-profile supporters, the silence from people who should have been talking. Nothing about it added up.He leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair. There was a knock at the door.“Joey?” The voice belonged to Sarah, and it was unmistakably calm—almost too calm.“Come in,” he replied, his tone more clipped than he intended.Sarah entered without hesitation, her posture as confident as always, her eyes scanning the room as if it were her domain. She closed the door behind her and took a seat across from him. Her gaze was steady, but Joey could sense that she was waiting for him to speak first.“What’s going on, Sarah?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. “I’ve been thinking a lot about Samuel’s release. It’s not just a coincidence, is it?”Sa
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 42
Samuel leaned back in his chair, watching Sarah with narrowed eyes. The dim light in the room cast long shadows across her face, making her expression unreadable. She had called him here—this private, quiet space tucked away from the world—because she had something to say. Something important.“What’s this really about, Sarah?” he asked, voice steady but laced with suspicion. “I know you didn’t bring me here just to reminisce.”Sarah exhaled, folding her arms. “No, I didn’t. It’s about your past, Samuel. About the things you don’t know.”Samuel scoffed, shifting slightly. “I know enough.”“No, you don’t.” Sarah leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table between them. “You think your old master was just another powerful figure who fell to time? That his death was the end of his legacy? It wasn’t.”Samuel’s jaw tightened. His old master—Richard Vale—had been one of the most feared and respected men in the underworld. Ruthless, cunning, always three steps ahead. And then, one day, h
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 43
Joey sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. The city stretched before him, neon lights flickering in puddles along the streets, the distant hum of traffic merging with the weight of his own thoughts. He had parked outside an old diner, one he used to visit when his biggest concern was a pile of unsolved cases and too much bad coffee.Now, things were different.His phone buzzed on the passenger seat, Samuel’s name flashing on the screen. Joey hesitated. It was always like this now—his old instincts battling against his new reality.He had been a cop once. A damn good one. Back when the law had clear lines, when criminals were the enemy, when he still believed in justice. Then Samuel happened.It hadn’t been overnight. At first, Joey told himself he was just gathering intel, playing a long game. He could get close to Samuel, see how deep his operation ran, and then take it apart from the inside. But that plan had dissolved somewhere along the
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 44
If justice wouldn’t do its job, Arthur would make sure the world saw Samuel for what he truly was.He tapped his fingers against the keyboard, skimming through old articles, police reports, anything that might give him leverage. Samuel had been careful, but no one was untouchable. Everyone had a past, and Arthur was going to dig until he found the skeletons buried in Samuel’s closet.Then, he’d burn them for the whole world to see.The first crack appeared in an obscure report from twenty years ago. A fire at a group home. Three dead, including the owner, a man suspected of running an illegal foster scheme. The official story ruled it as an accident, but Arthur had spent too many years in this game to believe in coincidences.Especially when a young Samuel had been one of the few survivors.Arthur leaned back, rubbing his jaw. The fire had destroyed most of the records, but something about it didn’t sit right. Survivors had been sent to different homes, and while most had faded into o
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\The road to the Vale of Remnants wasn’t marked on any map. It was hidden, buried beneath centuries of secrecy and natural camouflage. Eli had given them a tattered scroll, ink faded but still legible, containing coordinates only someone with the sigil could decipher. As they left the last paved road behind, the air grew heavier, laced with static. Trees loomed taller here, their twisted trunks like sentinels watching every move.Samuel sat in the backseat, staring out at the encroaching forest, his mind reeling. The Mark of Ascendance pulsed under his sleeve with quiet insistence, as if reacting to their proximity to the boundary. Every time he blinked, he saw that throne again—ancient and immense, its surface etched with glowing veins of light and shadow.Joey drove in tense silence. He had stopped cracking jokes two hours ago, when the GPS died and the radio began spitting out bursts of static mixed with those same whispered voices Samuel had been hearing. Sarah sat beside him, ey
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The handshake lingered longer than it should have, and when Marcus finally let go, Samuel wiped his hand on his coat, as if trying to rid himself of something foul. The warehouse hit had gone clean, precise, but that didn’t matter now. Callahan’s warning refused to quiet in Samuel’s head. The real players—the ones who truly run this city—are still out there.Back at the safe house, the atmosphere was no warmer than when they had left. Olivia was asleep on the couch, her breathing shallow but even. Rafael stood by the window, watching the street, while Evelyn leaned against the wall, arms crossed, the lines of tension etched deeper into her face.“You okay?” Samuel asked, stepping beside her.She didn’t answer at first. Then, quietly, “We just shot a man in cold blood, and I don’t feel a thing. That’s not normal.”Samuel glanced at her. “Normal left the building a long time ago.”Rafael spoke up. “We’ve stirred something up. Marcus might be useful, but he’s no ally. He plays sides, not
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'Hey, how about now? I am hungry'.There really was no other choice but to send a message to Gelael and go out with him. I couldn't possibly have to whine to Adrian, he might get really angry with me, because earlier he had offered to buy food straight away.Luckily, in no more than five minutes, Gelael arrived. I immediately got down and opened Gelael's car door when I saw that he had come with his friend. I immediately closed the front door and moved to the back. Unlucky! It's really embarrassing."Eh, sorry Emma, I forgot to tell you that I invited my brother, his name is Bon," said Gelael, Bon then extended his hand towards me."Emma," I said, shaking Bon's hand."Where are you going, sis?" Bon asked Gelael."Whatever, just a place to eat, a relaxed cafe, something delicious, if possible with live music," said Gelael.I sent a message to Gelael.'Why didn't you say that you would invite your brother, I was embarrassed because I suddenly opened the front door''Why should you be em
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"Why did you bring your brother? That's really cool," I asked."He was the one who wanted to come, he said he was bored at home, lazy about being told by his older brother, so I just invited him, do you feel bothered?" Gelael asked back."No, it's up to you, whoever you want to invite," I answered.Gelael smiled, he kept looking at me, I became uncomfortable."What now?" I asked Gelael."Nothing, I'm just happy to see you again, forgive all my stupidity yesterday, I think I was possessed by the ghost of a woman, that's why I acted so annoyingly," said Gelael."There's no need to discuss it any further, just assume that if you're crazy, I understand," I said.Gelael laughed, he looked back at me while supporting his chin. A very annoying pose for me, I ignored it and immediately played with my cellphone.Adrian sent photos of the food being served at Sandra's house, lots of it. It looked like they were having a luxurious party, Sandra was also seen smiling holding a lobster. I'm gratef
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“Why, just because I said something wrong earlier? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, don't be angry like this, we can discuss other things that are more interesting," replied Gelael."What else can I discuss with you?" I asked."What, I don't know either, there are many things I could tell you but you won't hear them, you understand what I mean," said Gelael, he looked at me sharply."Yeah, thank you, I don't want to hear it one bit," I answered.Gelael raised his eyebrows, he then opened his cellphone. Likewise with me. I also kept myself busy by opening my cellphone.I looked around, people seemed to be chatting with each other, sharing stories, laughing, and making memorable memories. Meanwhile we were both just busy with our own affairs. There are no more words, no more stories that we can talk about, it's all over.Likewise with this relationship, it should be completely over, it cannot be forced. Between the two of us we still have wounds and hopes, I have wounds that have not yet h
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Adrian sat on the sofa in front of the television, leaned his head against the sofa cushion, he closed his eyes, from his expression I could tell that Adrian felt very tired and depressed."Sandra apologized to me earlier, she told me about how all this could happen, I was very touched," said Adrian, still with the same expression."That's all he said?" I asked.Adrian opened his eyes, he squinted at me."What else did he tell you? Is there anything else?” Adrian asked me with a confused and curious face."Yes, she told me how she broke up with Hudson, and how all this madness started," I answered, I sat next to Adrian.“Hudson? What did he tell you? "He just said that, all of this has nothing to do with me, all the mistakes that exist are proof that he was guilty and negligent, he was just being hit by anxiety and worry about his life, so he finally chose a shortcut to calm himself down," said Adrian."I don't want to talk about this problem because it is Sandra's personal matter, bu
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"Whoever is stressed, it seems like he is talking about himself," I said quietly. I then closed the door and locked it.What should I do now, it was still very early, I looked in the refrigerator, there was some ice cream that I hadn't eaten. Because I was hungry, I decided to cook instant noodles.After a few minutes, the instant noodles I made were ready and I brought them in front of the television. I turned on the television and ate the noodles I made. It's really delicious.Days like this are sometimes very enjoyable, maybe you know what I mean, I haven't lived a normal life like someone without problems for a long time, so this sometimes becomes an interesting habit.Gelael sent me a message saying good morning, I ignored it. I've really decided to keep my distance from Gelael, I don't want to have to play with everything at my young age all the time.By the way, it's December 28th, it's great that Adrian is still working at the end of the year, what a busy businessman. Sometime
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We arrived at the mall where Gelael and I met again for the first time after we separated."Let's just go straight to the salon, okay? My head feels very heavy," said Sandra, she then took my hand and we started walking along the mall."So how did that happen, I really can't comment reading what you just showed me, I'm very happy," I said, Sandra's smile couldn't hide her feelings which were also very happy."Why did I ask Adrian to come home last night? Because I really opened my mind, I apologized to Adrian and asked him not to think about all the things I did, I thought there were things I had to finish before it was too late. So after Adrian came home, I immediately called Tommy and talked to him. Including my meeting with Adrian, Hudson and what just happened, maybe we talked for almost three hours, I have become relieved and open since telling you, so I am really grateful that because of you I can have the courage to admit those things. At first I was hesitant to call Tommy, but
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The safe house felt colder than usual. The air was thick with tension, the kind that settled in your bones and refused to let go. Samuel sat in the corner of the dimly lit room, his fingers lightly tapping against his knee. Evelyn was across from him, tending to Olivia, who lay on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.Damon paced near the window, his agitation barely contained. “This doesn’t feel like a win,” he muttered. “We took out Vincent, got Olivia back, but something feels... off.”Samuel knew exactly what he meant. The words of the dying man at the warehouse still echoed in his mind. There are worse monsters coming.“We don’t have time to celebrate,” Samuel said finally. “Vincent may be dead, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe. Power like his doesn’t just disappear—it shifts.”Evelyn looked up, her expression tired but determined. “Then we make sure no one else takes it.”Damon scoffed. “That’s a nice thought, but how? We’re just four people against an entire city of crim
