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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
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 45
Madeline had always admired Gideon from a distance, first as an untouchable figure of influence, then as something more—something that made her pulse quicken in a way she couldn’t afford to acknowledge. He was calculated, brilliant, always three steps ahead of the world. And she wanted to be part of that world.At first, it had been simple. She had helped where she could, subtly inserting herself into his plans. But the more time she spent in his orbit, the more tangled she became in his machinations. And the more tangled she became, the harder it was to remember where Gideon’s ambitions ended and her own choices began.She wanted to prove herself to him.She just hadn’t realized how much it would cost.The first real mistake came on a cold evening in November. Madeline sat across from Gideon in his office, the flickering candlelight casting shadows along the bookshelves. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, watching her as she laid out the information she had gathered.“It’
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 46
The air in the city was thick with tension, the kind that clung to every whispered conversation, every careful glance over the shoulder. Samuel had been walking a tightrope, balancing between survival and the relentless pursuit of those who wanted him destroyed. He had grown used to being hunted, to schemes woven in the shadows.But he had not expected this.The doors to the dimly lit lounge swung open with a force that silenced the room. The usual hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses came to an abrupt halt as all eyes turned toward the figure standing in the doorway.A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside, the glow of the streetlamp behind him casting his face into shadow. His presence alone carried an unmistakable weight, as if the city itself had been holding its breath for his return.Samuel, seated in the corner with a glass of whiskey in hand, slowly lowered the drink. His fingers tightened around the glass. He hadn’t seen that face in years—had convinced himself
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 47
They had entered Samuel’s world like a shadow slipping through cracks in the pavement—silent, sudden, and impossible to ignore.Their name was Vincent Hale, a fixer, a broker of secrets. No allegiance except to the highest bidder, no history that could be traced without running into dead ends. They were the kind of person who could make or break men like Samuel, and they knew it.Vincent exhaled slowly, letting the tension settle in the room before finally speaking. “I have something you need.”Samuel lifted his gaze, eyes dark and unreadable. “That so?”Vincent slid a small USB drive across the table. It stopped just before Samuel’s fingers. “On there is everything you need to rip Arthur apart from the inside. Connections he’s kept hidden, favors he’s traded with men who would burn if their names were ever tied to him. Corrupt politicians, CEOs, judges—every dirty deal, every handshake in the dark.”Samuel stared at the drive but didn’t reach for it. He had learned long ago that noth
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 48
Samuel had changed everything. He wasn’t just a powerful man—he was a force, a presence that made the ground shift under your feet. The moment Joey had stepped into his world, he had felt it, the pull of something bigger, something darker. And yet, even knowing the weight of the choices ahead, he was still here.A knock on the passenger window snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Vincent Hale, Samuel’s newest ally, smirking at him through the glass. Joey hesitated, then unlocked the door.Vincent slid in, his movements smooth, casual. “You look like a man about to make a very bad decision.”Joey exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing anymore.”Vincent chuckled, lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag before responding. “That’s the first honest thing I’ve heard all night.”Joey turned to face him fully. “Why are you here?”Vincent exhaled smoke toward the windshield. “Samuel sent me to make sure you don’t do anything… regre
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 49
Arthur knew this was his last chance. He sat at his desk, the dim light of his office casting long shadows over stacks of documents, news clippings, and confidential reports. His campaign against Samuel had been going on for months, but he had underestimated the man. Every attempt to expose him had backfired. Every whisper campaign, every investigative piece he had leaked to the media had only strengthened Samuel’s hold.That was going to change.Arthur leaned forward, watching the news anchor on the screen in front of him."New allegations have surfaced against businessman Samuel Caine, with sources claiming ties to illicit financial dealings and political corruption."The reporter’s voice was calm, professional, but Arthur could hear the tension behind it. The media had been cautious about taking him on, but Arthur had forced their hand. He had supplied them with carefully curated evidence, enough to create doubt, to plant the seeds of Samuel’s downfall.It wasn’t enough.Arthur gra
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 50
Arthur’s sword swung toward Samuel with a lethal arc, but Samuel, ever the patient strategist, didn’t flinch. He allowed the attack to come closer, just close enough that Arthur would believe victory was in his grasp. At the last possible moment, Samuel moved with the grace of a dancer, sidestepping the blow and using Arthur’s momentum against him. Arthur stumbled forward, caught off guard by the unexpected ease with which Samuel had countered."You're getting slow, Arthur," Samuel said, his voice a smooth murmur in the midst of the tension. "Is it age? Or something else weighing on you?"Arthur’s face flushed with anger. He straightened himself, glaring at Samuel. "You think you're clever, don’t you? Always playing your games, always one step ahead. But this ends now."With a growl, Arthur surged forward again, faster this time, his sword aimed straight for Samuel’s chest. But once again, Samuel moved like water, flowing around the strike with barely a shift in posture. Samuel’s eye
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 51
At the heart of this division stood Joey. His uniform, a deep shade of blue with the emblem of the state emblazoned on his chest, symbolized everything he had once believed in—order, control, and loyalty to the system. But that loyalty was beginning to waver, and with it, everything he had ever known.Joey had always thought he knew where his allegiance lay. He was a soldier, part of the system, bound to uphold the state’s rule and maintain the fragile peace that held Aletra together. For years, he had followed orders without question, believing the ideal of a unified city. That was, until he met Samuel.Samuel had come into his life at the most unexpected of times—a time when Joey’s faith in the state was beginning to crack. He had watched Samuel for weeks from the shadows, a man who seemed to move through the streets of Aletra with a quiet power, someone who wasn’t bound by the state’s rules, but who could navigate the city's darkest alleys with ease. At first, Joey had seen him as
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The energy wrapped around him, seeping into his skin, into his bones, into something even deeper—his soul. It was like drowning, but instead of water, it was power, memories, and voices that weren’t his. The whispers pressed against his mind, urging him to listen.And then—darkness.A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he landed on solid ground, knees hitting the earth with a force that sent pain shooting up his legs. He wasn’t in the clearing anymore.He was somewhere else.A temple stood before him, carved from black stone, its edges glowing with the same golden energy that had surrounded him. The air was thick, humming with something alive. The sky above was dark—no stars, no moon, only swirling mist."Finally awake, are we?"Samuel spun around.A man stood a few feet away, leaning lazily against one of the temple’s pillars. His sharp features were half-hidden by the shadows, but his
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The moment Samuel’s blood touched the earth, something ancient stirred beneath the surface. The island trembled—not with anger, but with recognition.Samuel gasped as heat pulsed from his wounded palm, spreading up his arm like liquid fire. The sensation wasn’t pain, exactly. It was something deeper, something that burned into his very bones.Sarah held onto him, her fingers digging into his arm. “Samuel, talk to me! What’s happening?”He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. His vision blurred, the world around him tilting as if reality itself had shifted.Then, the ground beneath them split open.A glowing fissure ran from where his blood had fallen, jagged veins of golden light branching out like roots seeking nourishment. The energy pulsed, slow at first, then faster, brighter, until the entire clearing was bathed in its eerie glow.Samuel stumbled back, his breath shallow. His reflection shimmered in the golden light—his skin looked different, almost translucent, as if som
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The weight of the island’s demand pressed down on him, suffocating, inescapable. His hands trembled at his sides as he turned to Sarah, hoping for another answer—any answer—that didn’t end in blood.“There has to be another way,” he said, his voice tight with desperation. “Something we’re missing. A loophole.”Sarah’s eyes darkened with concern. She wanted to tell him there was another way, but she couldn’t lie to him—not now. “If there was, I would have told you already,” she admitted. “But this has always been the island’s way.”The elder woman remained silent, watching him with an unreadable expression. She had seen this moment before, countless times throughout history—when the heir was forced to face the impossible. And she knew that in the end, the island always got what it wanted.Samuel swallowed hard. His fingers brushed against the worn leather of the journal still tucked inside his bag. He had hoped the answers were in its pages, but all it had given him were more questions
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The crash of falling rocks echoed behind them as Samuel and Sarah emerged onto the rocky shore, their breaths ragged and uneven. The cave had collapsed completely, leaving behind nothing but dust and the faint tremors still reverberating through the earth. The ocean roared against the jagged cliffs, its waves crashing in a relentless, violent rhythm, as if mirroring the chaos unfolding before them.Samuel steadied himself, hands braced against his knees, his pulse hammering in his ears. He turned sharply toward Sarah, his voice laced with frustration.“What the hell just happened?”Sarah’s face was pale, her usually sharp gaze unfocused as she stared at the spot where the cave entrance had once stood. Slowly, she shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. The island has never reacted like this before.”Samuel exhaled sharply, his frustration mounting. He could still feel the weight of the journal tucked in his bag, as if the secrets within were burn
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The cave trembled around us, dust raining from the ceiling as the ground beneath our feet quaked. The pedestal where the journal had rested began to crack, thin fractures crawling across its surface like veins of some ancient, dying beast.I gripped the book tighter, my breath coming fast. “What the hell is happening?”Sarah stood frozen, her eyes darting around the chamber. She took a step back, her voice barely above a whisper. “We triggered something… but I don’t know what.”I turned to her sharply. “You knew this place would react, didn’t you? You knew something like this could happen.”She flinched at the accusation but didn’t deny it.“You’ve been keeping secrets this entire time,” I snapped, anger flaring in my chest. “Enough. Tell me what’s really going on.”Sarah clenched her fists, her hesitation tangible. The flickering torchlight cast
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The hum of the private jet was the only sound that accompanied Samuel as he stared out of the window, watching the endless blue of the ocean below. The sunlight reflected off the water’s surface, making it appear like liquid glass. It was beautiful—too beautiful for what lay ahead. Samuel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his thoughts racing.His old master’s final words echoed in his mind: “Your true purpose lies in the ocean’s depths.”What could that possibly mean? He had been trained for years in secret, preparing for something big, but nothing had ever felt this urgent. XX Island. The name alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine. It wasn’t just an island—it was a place steeped in mystery, with whispers of its ancient power and artifacts that could alter the very fabric of time. And now, Samuel was bound for it, with only fragmented clues to guide him.Beside him, Sarah sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the horizon. He hadn’t heard a word from her since they boarded the pla
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Samuel first noticed the visions three nights ago. They started as fleeting images—shadows curling at the edges of his consciousness, whispers in languages he didn’t recognize, and a throne wreathed in flickering blue flames. But last night, they became impossible to ignore. He had woken up drenched in sweat, heart hammering in his chest, his arm burning as if seared by an invisible fire. When he pulled up his sleeve, a sigil glowed on his forearm, intricate and pulsating with an eerie golden light.Sarah was the first to see it.Her face paled. She took a step back, gripping the edge of the table as if the sight had physically weakened her. "Oh, God," she whispered."What?" Samuel demanded, his voice hoarse. "You know what this is?"Sarah swallowed hard, her fingers trembling. "I was hoping this would never happen." She looked into his eyes, guilt and fear warring in her expression. "Samuel, there’s something I never told you about your
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Samuel stared at the money Joey had placed on the table. A stack of red and blue bills lay neatly, as if they had just been withdrawn from the bank. However, something within him sensed an oddity.Suddenly, a fleeting vision flashed through his mind. Fragments of memories from who knows where seemed to tell him something. This money was no ordinary cash. He recognized the packaging pattern and the faint scent emanating from it—a mix of expensive perfume and tobacco smoke. Something he could only associate with one name: Sharon.Samuel furrowed his brows and took a deep breath before looking at Joey, who was still standing before him with a questioning expression."This is from Sharon," he stated, his voice flat but filled with certainty.Joey blinked, looking surprised. "Sharon? You mean, that Sharon?"Samuel nodded slowly. "A high-profile criminal. The shadow queen we've never been able to touch."Joey exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "How can you be so sure?"Samuel
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Samuel sat alone in the dimly lit room, his fingers tracing the worn edges of a map spread across the table, his mind was a maze of conflicting thoughts. The rebellion had come so far, and yet it felt like everything was crumbling, piece by piece. Was it all worth it? He had sacrificed so much—his time, his energy, his relationships—and yet, in the end, what had they achieved? The state had grown stronger, and the people who once followed him now looked to him with doubt and fear in their eyes.His reflection was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Samuel didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Joey had been a constant presence in his life for years, a loyal ally despite the chaos that surrounded them. But now, the younger man’s silence was a weight Samuel couldn’t ignore.“Samuel,” Joey’s voice broke the stillness, low and unsure. “Are you okay?”Samuel didn’t answer immediately. He could feel the weight of Joey’s gaze, the expectation in the air, but he wasn’t sure how to resp
