At the very height of this moment, just as Mr. Smith held Sophia’s hand and walked her out of the guest room, Ethan fixed a stare at Isabella. Then he rose to his feet and walked slowly to the glass wall like a predator stalking its prey, calculating every move with a silent intensity.He put his hands into his pockets and made sure that the glass wall he was walking toward was at a good distance from Isabella. He then took a deep sigh, like a man who was about to lift a heavy burden off his chest, and spoke slowly."I will tell you a story, Isabella."Hearing this, Isabella wondered what a story could achieve at a moment like this. Though she was reluctant, like a hesitant butterfly, she was still eager to see where Ethan was heading. Thus, she paid attention but maintained the same sideways look away from Ethan."This is a story about the Giraffe and the monkey," Ethan said, then looked sideways as if he was about to turn and shoot a glance at Isabella. But no, he did not turn. Inst
As Isabella still refused to leave as Ethan had demanded, instead strolling around the guest room, boiling like a kettle on the verge of eruption, Ethan remained standing still and only turned again to face the glass wall like a king admiring his grand throne.In this tense moment, Ethan said nothing more than silence, and neither did Isabella say anything more than her groanings. Slowly, he retrieved his hand from his pocket, making his cell phone obvious as he placed it to his ear and said,"Come in."Just like that, Ethan drew his hand and his cellphone back into his pocket like a magician concealing a mysterious object, leaving Isabella curious about the conversation he had just had. As he yet said nothing more, which caused greater confusion to Isabella, he looked out through the glass wall and saw a security guard approaching the mansion's entrance.Without too much time wasted, she quickly dissolved the puzzle as she yelled, "You fool, you have called one of your errand dogs to
Maintaining the same speed as Eldridge, Isabella arrived at the hospital. Like a bolt of lightning, she hurried out of her fancy car and raced like a gazelle to the hospital’s post-operative room, where her parents were kept.Not even the caution of the receptionist was able to stop her as she ran past the passageway and bumped into every nurse and patient's family walking through it at this moment. Though the looks on everyone Isabella had bumped into were of aggression at what Isabella had just done, and when a few of them even cursed at her for almost falling them to the hospital floor, she did not mind, and she only continued in haste, pushing anyone in her way aside."What?" she exclaimed as she hurriedly turned the door handle to the post-operative room, and the door opened to the post-operative room; yet, she found no one inside."Where are my parents? Where is the guard? Where is everyone?"Her confusion covered her from head to toe like the garments of men from Dubai. There w
Isabella arrived at the beach house, still vexed as if she had been anointed to be Lucifer's second in command. She walked quickly towards the entrance door as soon as she slipped out of her fancy car. Immediately, she paused, and what she saw ignited the fire of rage burning within her. She then decided to act on her words of promise by diverting towards the beach, just beside the house, to find a heavy stone that she couldn't carry alone with one hand.Lifting the heavy stone with both hands, she continued to groan as she walked faster, indicating the weight of the stone. "F**king Davis, I promised you would smell death the next time I see you here," she muttered, and with that, she smashed the heavy stone into Davis' car's windshield.As if that wasn't enough, she smashed it into every other window the fancy car had, causing the car to make an alarm sound like a symphony of shattered dreams. "F**k you, Davis, f**k you!" she said again, her breathing heavy upon her chest as she walk
As Davis left the beach house, Isabella's rigid face softened like ice melting under the warm embrace of the sun, and she maintained a calm demeanor. Quickly, she sat closer to Alexander and Victorial like a protective shield, encompassing them with her presence and love, and asked, "How are you two feeling now?"To her, the smiles on their faces were enough to reassure her after all the annoying things she had gone through, right from Eldrige to HavenBrook Hospital and to the beach house, like a soothing balm, providing comfort to her weary soul."And have you guys eaten?" She asked immediately, and suddenly, this question made her realize that something had been strange about the mansion since she came in. And so she directed the question to Alexander immediately."Dad, it just occurred to me that I did not see any security guard at the gate, no security guard in the compound, and where are the housekeepers and the private chefs? Where is everyone?"As Isabella asked, Alexander took
Alexander broke into pieces like shattered glass falling from the skyscraper as he fell to the floor and expressed his pain, which burned within him. On the other hand, Isabella's eyes were full of tears, as she could not imagine that what just happened would ever happen for any reason.Surely, how the security guards left their service and how the housekeepers and private chefs left their service in the beach house was not really a big concern for Alexander when he still had his family. However, when Victorial left him, it was as if his whole world collapsed into a bottomless pit."Where do I start from? What do I do?" Alexander asked in a low, teary voice. Nonetheless, it did not seem as if an answer was coming.Suddenly, with teary eyes, he furrowed his brows and looked at the walls. His voice became hard as he said, "Ethan Mark, you are the devil who visited me. Yet you act like a dove in the face of everyone else. I will make sure your whole world collapses as you made mine. I wi
Walking down the grand hotel hall, Isabella was led by one of the hotel staff members the receptionist had called to show her to her room.The hotel staff was a lady who wore a short black skirt that did not reach her knees, and her white shirt had the top buttons undone to show her cleavage, like a bold declaration of confidence and allure.In the same manner, she had straight blonde hair flowing down beyond her shoulders to her back. When she stood closer to Isabella, she was shorter in height, like a delicate lily bowing before a majestic rose, even with her mountain-high heels that should have made her taller than Isabella.To this, Isabella scoffed. but to further a statement, it was a lie.The hall was adorned with opulent chandeliers that brought a warm glow to the intricately designed wallpaper, depicting scenes of Eldridge's rich history. Plush crimson carpets lined the polished marble floor, muffling the sound of her footsteps as she walked closely behind the hotel staff.Wi
"How dare that son of a bitch call me despite all my warnings that I would kill him if he came close to me again?" Isabella said this immediately as she pulled over, like a storm gathering strength before it unleashes its fury.Her eyes, even in a blink of an eye, suddenly became reddish, her face hard like a stone-cold mask of fury, and her veins cropped out of her forehead like a raging river, pulsating with anger and frustration.Again, she dug her hand into her fancy bag and brought out her phone."Is he using a private number to call me? How dare he?" Isabella said it aloud like a thunderous clap, her voice reverberating with anger and disbelief, as if he could hear her without picking up the call. Hence, she immediately picked up the call, but what she heard was a different voice which was not Davis'."Hello, b*tch," Isabella heard immediately on the phone, and if she recognized the voice, it was hence a lie.Immediately, all her anger softened, and her veins receded into her sk
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