"Go away, you! Like father, like daughter You never liked me, and you won't, so stop the act and just go park your belongings. I am taking you to Ethan. He is who you want anyway," Isabella retorted as she walked away from the control panel corner, as if all her strength had been drained.She then felt unremorseful about what or how she had spoken to Sophia. Even when Sophia grudgingly left the living room, looking like a child who had been forced out of a playground, Isabella wasn't bothered. Her main objective had been achieved: Alexa could no longer speak."Now, all that is left is for the stupid female reporter to leave, and I get to Eldridge to give the son of a b**ch these custodian rights to his daughter."She walked slowly and exhaustedly toward the home bar like a weary traveler nearing the end of a long and arduous journey. As she sat at the high table, she grabbed a bottle of alcoholic wine and a glass, pouring gently like a sommelier carefully serving a precious vintage.E
Like camera guys who zoomed their camera lenses on their subjects and captured their faces in very bold shots, Davis's face was zoomed in on the television. And It did not matter if he was in the car or not; his face was so bold, and every one of his expressions was carried on the news like a blazing comet streaking across the night sky.At this moment, tears flowed down his cheeks like the rivers of Jordan, and a moment later, he was seen beating the steering wheel with his palm. In the same manner, his face was all squeezed up like a child crying over a fallen ice cream as he continued to mutter words out of his teary mouth, which, however, were not audible on the television.Isabella attempted to sit more upright, trying her best to make sure she was balanced, but she could not. Her heavy eyes, hiccups, and lack of strength still controlled her, but that did not mean that she did not know what she was doing.At this moment, she gently dropped the bottle of wine from her hand and th
"Okay, go on, Alexa. I am paying the highest attention." "Great!" Alexa responded before she continued. "Her name is Elara Whitewind, and she works for Global News Network (GNN), as you can see live on TV. She is 26 years old and has blond hair, as you can also see on the news." "Alexa, I don't need her age or anything like that. Give me viable information about her, like where she lives, her phone number, and the like," Isabella interrupted. "Hold on, I am coming to that," Alexa said as she kept on talking. "She lives at 1457 Willowbrook Avenue, Havenbrook, XZ 56789, Celestia. She lives alone, as her parents are dead. She has no family or friends. This is why she is aggressive on her job; it is the only thing she can be proud of, and certainly, she is the best employee the Global News Network has. Her phone number is +1 505-662-6062. Her boss's name is Thalon Darkstar, and his phone number is +1 202-918-2132." "Now that you know everything about Elara, what are you going to do wi
At this moment, Ethan's face was shown on the news, and Isabella couldn't help but fix a perfect stare, even when her drunken eyes were so heavy that she almost fell asleep after listening to Alexa call the Global News Network boss. Nonetheless, she made sure to stay awake, eager to listen to Ethan’s words on TV. This was a live session on the global news network, and Ethan sat down, crossing his legs over each other, radiant and looking as cute as ever. His suit, even when seen from the TV, was of the best material, and his wristwatch gleamed with gold, unlike what Isabella had seen him wear before. And behind him stood Mr. Smith, looking like a bodyguard, and everyone could see him clearly on the news. His black shades made him look younger, and his black suit and tie gave him the appearance of a model getting a perfect snap at a studio. "So, Mr. Ethan Mark, you must have seen the report and all on the TV, and I know you must be wondering what was happening when you have done noth
"Isabella should have deserve every bit of this lifestyle with me but she does not, because before I claimed my inheritance, she had moved on to the extent of sharing intimacy with another man. My eyes fell to the hospital floor when I saw her come to visit our daughter with another man. They were holding hands and walking down the hospital passage as if they were walking down the aisle. The man even mocked me for how I looked and smelled back then. It was a horrible experience that still breaks me whenever I remember it.""But how do you know she had already shared intimacy with another man? I mean, she could have come to visit your daughter with her love interest, whom she was ready to move on with after she divorced you, right? They might not have shared any intimacy.""No, Ms. Elara, she told me to my face, and I quote. 'See, Ethan? This marriage is over. I'm with Davis now, and we've already been intimate. I don't care what you do; I just want you out of my life.' I will never fo
The next morning dawned with birds singing in the trees, and the cold air injected a sense of endurance into Isabella's bones. When Isabella opened her eyes, she found herself on the floor, where she had slept the night before.As she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself sprawled on the ground, as she had forgotten everything that happened the night before, like a child with no memories of events before being born.However, the sight of a wine bottle on the ground and her throbbing headache spoke volumes, like a symphony of regrets, each note resounding with the aftermath of her indulgence. She wondered what had happened, but the memories were elusive. She could only recall that her parents had been rushed to the hospital two days ago, and she had met Ethan there, too.Suddenly, a sensation rushed through her like an elevator ascending a tall building, and when it reached her chest, she felt as though she might vomit.Without delay and in an effort not to soil the living
"Isabella, this is the same attitude you gave your daughter, and she didn't sleep at home all night long. How would you even know, since you nag at her every second?" "What?" Isabella burst out in this instance like a fierce thunderstorm, her eyes widening as if she had witnessed something utterly shocking. Though she had nagged at her daughter, she never meant for her to stay out all night long. "Where the heck is she?" Isabella asked, but Alexa wouldn't answer her with that kind of tone. "Ask me nicely, and I'll tell you, Isabella," Alexa replied, unbothered, her voice remaining calm. But Isabella was ready for all this crap coming from Alexa, and it was false. "Housekeepers!" Isabella screamed, and before her voice finally quieted down, the group of housekeepers rushed to the living room, responding to their names being called like a battalion of soldiers, quick and timid. "Where the heck is my daughter?" she asked, but none of them could answer her. They looked down at their f
Isabella arrived at Eldridge about two hours later in her fancy car. While she was at the gate entrance, the security guard told her to wait.Their appearance was not different from the last time Isabella saw them. Their sunglasses were defining features of their notorious duty.To Sophia, these security guards were more organized and fashionable than the ones they had at the beach house. This fascinated her, and she kept throwing questions at Isabella even when she received no answer."Mum, is this where Dad lives? How did he become so rich all of a sudden? Wow! Look at that," Sophia exclaimed.Right from the gate, Sophia's eyes met a statue in Ethan’s compound. It resembled a fountain that poured water from its mouth in a beautiful fortress, and she continued to peer at it. Perhaps when they were allowed in, she could finally get down from the car and touch the statue to see how it feels.Isabella was still peering at the security guard, who was observing the car's contents.It's no
Pushing her back into her prison cell like a reluctant pawn being returned to its square on a chessboard, Isabella fell on the prison floor, resembling a fragile autumn leaf descending with a surrender to the inevitable embrace of the cold, hard ground. No matter how her voice had risen in anger towards her mother in the meeting room, she knew very well that she wanted to read the contents of the letter in the envelope and discover the help Ethan Mark had promised her. "Would he file for my release?" "Has he bought me a home as a sign of my forgiveness?" "Would he take me back as his wife?" Different questions rushed through her mind like a tumultuous river, each query cascading over the other. As she held the envelope in her hand, she sat at the corner of her cell and stared at it much more closely. In this way, she saw that the surface of the envelope bore a faint trace of handling, like a blank canvas marked only by the weight of the untold. She also observed the edges, crisp
As Isabella saw her mother through the glass panel, her eyes first peered at her face, which was fresh and glowing like a sun-kissing morning, radiating warmth and vitality. Similarly, she observed her hair, cascading strands of silk, flowing effortlessly, resembling a gentle waterfall gracing a serene landscape.But if that were all, it would be a lie. She also noticed her dress, which was as beautiful as a field of blooming flowers, each petal a vibrant hue, creating a tapestry of elegance. Likewise, her neck, ears, and wrists were adorned with jewelry, resembling constellations adorning the night sky, each piece a sparkling star in the galaxy of her elegance.Taking in this perfect image of her mother, the thought immediately struck Isabella that her mother's current appearance was the complete inverse of hers—a mess in a uniform and in a confined space, akin to a wildflower struggling to bloom in a cramped garden bed."Been a while," Victoria Sinclair said again, immediately as Is
Like a fish forced to live in the desert for the crime she had committed, Isabella's prison days wove a bleak tapestry of monotony and despair. The cold, unforgiving reality of prison life left her yearning for freedom, with each passing moment feeling like an eternity. The absence of familiar faces and the pervasive loneliness created a profound sense of desolation that permeated every aspect of her existence.Most especially, the daily beatings from her tormentor, Elara Whitewind, resembled an unrelenting storm, leaving Isabella's spirit battered and broken, akin to a shipwreck in the tempest of her despair. This was the reason she wished she had never set foot in the prison yard, mess hall, or communal bathroom ever again.However, whether she wished to visit those places or not, prison protocol had to be followed, leaving her no choice but to be present even in the devil's face if the protocol demanded it.In the dimly lit mess hall, clattering trays and hushed conversations fille
Ethan said nothing in response to Mr. Alexander's words. Instead, as if he hadn't heard him, he seized a seat on the other side of the table and crossed his left leg over his right.Yet, this did not mean he spoke at this moment. The only sound was the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the table, as if he were playing an invisible piano.In this manner, Ethan Mark exuded authority. Gazing calmly from Mr. Alexander's feet to the tangled mess of hair atop his head, he looked at him. With a serenity akin to the gentle flow of the Nile and a voice as soft as a satisfied dove contemplating a defeated jungle lion, he suddenly spoke."Kneel and apologize."Upon hearing these words, Mr. Alexander's eyes widened in shock. He never anticipated a day when he would be asked to kneel and beg for mercy, especially from the person he had always regarded as a poor bastard.Like an enslaved cat in the presence of a lion, Mr. Alexander fell to his knees as Ethan Mark instructed, pleading, "I was a ter
Seeing how bold, tall, and dangerous this prisoner appeared and observing his audacious manner of poking at him was akin to witnessing a prowling lion, confident in its dominance, taunting its prey before the impending strike. Mr. Alexander then immediately turned his back, attempting to escape from this menacing part of the communal bathroom like a startled deer seeking refuge from the looming threat in the dark forest. "I have to run," he muttered in total fright, his voice a tremor in the echoing silence, like a desperate whisper carried away by the chilling wind of impending danger. However, if his intention was for success, it was a futile hope. "And where do you think you are running to, huh?" Another prisoner said this behind him and pushed him forward like a pawn on the unforgiving chessboard of the prison's power dynamics. As Mr. Alexander was pushed forward, he witnessed how the older prisoners immediately surrounded him. He also noticed how they revealed smirks on their c
After speaking for hours, the man who had conversed with him advised Mr. Alexander to get some sleep. He emphasized the importance of having alert eyes to observe any unfortunate events that might occur in the morning. And with that, Mr. Alexander retreated to the corner of his cell once again, burying his head in his ankle like a ship seeking refuge in the harbor of solitude, sheltering itself from the tempest of the prison's harsh reality. He sat on the ground, succumbing to a haunted sleep. *** The next morning revealed Mr. Alexander as a mere specter of resilience, marked by the weariness of a night spent in the clutches of haunted dreams, like a tattered flag fluttering weakly after enduring the relentless storm of a sleepless night. His eyes, burdened with unrest, betrayed the toll of his surroundings. Disheveled strands of hair clung to his forehead, bearing witness to the restless hours entangled in unsettling dreams. As he rose from the dark corner of his cell, his eyes fir
"Long story, man," the man answered. However, if this was all he said, it was a lie. He began to unravel his own narrative, detailing how his legs became amputated and one of his hands irreparably broken and dislocated."You see, I entered this prison as a healthy man. My crimes weren't that significant. I robbed a bank because I couldn't bear to watch my daughter suffer. We hadn't eaten for days, and robbing the bank seemed like my only option." He took a deep sigh and continued talking."Yes, you guessed right. The mission was unsuccessful, and before I knew it, I was completely surrounded by the police. I had no guns, only a knife and a dagger. I never headed to the vault but collected pieces from each person I encountered in the bank. I just wanted to be able to feed my daughter and move on with life the next day.""While being surrounded, there was nothing more I could do than raise my hands in the air and let the police apprehend me. God knows it was the biggest mistake I ever m
Arriving at the prison, Mr. Alexander saw how the prison walls were imposing, resembling a fortress of despair that stood as a testament to the shadows of society. Certainly, he shook his head in regret, as he had never been to a place this horrible before.He observed cold steel bars, like sentinels of incarceration, confining notorious men whose stories were etched in the graffiti of hardened souls. Similarly, he noticed how the air hung heavy with the weight of regret, whispers of past misdeeds echoing through the dimly lit corridors.The sounds of his handcuffs tucked in chains down to his ankle made obvious sounds as he was escorted through the corridor harboring the cells of different notorious men by two prison officers whose faces lacked smiles, as if they hadn't smiled for many notorious years. Hence, he saw individuals behind these cells harboring untold secrets with their unappealing faces and frightful behaviors.Upon witnessing him and the others being escorted to their r
“Detective Sharon, we would love to ask you a few questions if you do not mind. We are sure this would help the public understand more of what is going on,” one reporter said immediately. “Alright, please go ahead. If this would help the general public understand more of what is going on, “Thank you, Detective Sharon. Now that Mr. Alexander, Mr. X, and Attorney Hughes have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, and Attorney Reynolds is awaiting the outcome of his investigation before he is sentenced, do you think that would be the end of this deadly organization?” “Yes, Mr. X. Mr. Alexander Rosewood and Attorney Hughes have been sentenced to prison for a very long term, and if care is not taken, for life imprisonment. However, this is not the end of the organization. As you might already know, the deadly organization is a large organization that has penetrated every sector, which could even include the police, the prison officers, the legal system, and many more, which could even i