As the sergeant walked away, handing his badge and firearms to the nearest police officer aside from the commissioner, the commissioner turned to face Mr. Smith again, who was standing before Ethan, and introduced himself properly."I am Commissioner Alexander Kane, and it is both an honor and a duty to serve as the guardian of this great city. We are here to ensure your safety and uphold the law. We have seen the footage of what happened here, and we would like to ask you a few questions to track down the men in black who have invaded your beautiful and peaceful home. Together, we can make Eldridge a safer place for all and make sure these people are apprehended."Hearing this, Mr. Smith stepped aside quickly and stood closely behind Ethan as both Ethan's eyes and the commissioner's eyes gazed at each other.Shortly after, Ethan extended his hand forward and said, "Good day, Commissioner. Please come in and ask every question you need to do your work."At this moment, the commissione
"Hey, Mrs. Isabella Rosewood, you finally arrived back for our deal, huh?" Behind the five men standing in the dusty doorway and pointing their guns at Isabella, the same man who had sold Isabella the weapon before walked out and smiled like a silly cat.Yet his silly jokes had no effect on Isabella, as she tensed up with all the guns still pointed at her like a deer caught in the headlights. Suddenly, beads of sweat appeared on her face, soaking her like rain on a wilting flower.In this moment, her trembling legs were obvious, as were her trembling hands, which remained raised like a surrendering thief in the middle of a heist."I told you you would come back to hire men, didn't I? Only I did not expect you to come so soon," the man said again, still in his silly demeanor as he danced like a joker with his girlfriend in a wild tangle of crimson locks.Immediately, he dashed forward out of the dusty doorway like a racer in a race. And as he reached Isabella, he leaned close to her fa
As the commissioner asked, Mr. Smith, still standing behind Ethan, began to speak. "They are a secret group called the Ninjas of Assassination Missions. They used to be ex-military personnel who were dismissed from service and, because they were already corrupt, decided to take up missions from nobles who were willing to pay large sums of money."Hearing this, the commissioner, who had been jotting down notes in his book, slowly looked up at Ethan and Mr. Smith simultaneously before he said, "If what Mr. Smith said is true, it means someone paid a large sum of money to have you taken out. Who do you think it might be? Could it be your ex-father-in-law? I heard your company demoted him from branch manager to a mere staff role.""Yes, the company relieved him of the burden of being a branch lead. Though he may bear grudges against me, I do not think he is capable of sending men after me," Ethan said."If you say so, Mr. Ethan Mark, But it is our duty to find out if he is capable or not,
Upon hearing what the man said, Isabella's eyes displayed shock. "But what did I do wrong? Her voice emerged softly from her lips, resembling that of an innocent woman who was wrongly apprehended and simply wanted to go home as if nothing ever happened."You don't know? Alright, I'll tell you," the man said as he extracted a bullet from his pocket and loaded it into the pistol chamber handed to him."You came here after a message had been passed in the secret group, indicating that no one should come here. This suggests that you are not part of the secret group, and if you're not in the secret group, it's not safe to do business with you," the man explained; however, that was not all he said as he proceeded further."Not only did you come at the wrong time, but you also stood at the door, clearly talking to someone on your phone. Tell me, are you working with the police?" The man asked, finally loading all the bullets from his pocket into his pistol and manually rotating the chamber l
Upon hearing what Mr. Smith said, the commissioner jotted it down in his book once again and slowly looked up, saying, "If the Ninjas of assassination missions spit out blood right after they are captured, it means one thing: they are ready to protect their organization's secrets at any cost, even choosing death over surrender.""You are right, commissioner. I witnessed one of them wielding the deadly Japanese sword from the Samurai Temple. This is enough evidence that, in addition to their military training, they received additional training from the Samurai Temple. With this training, they can conceal information instead of surrendering. They have been indoctrinated differently, and for them, dying as a Ninja is preferable," Mr. Smith said.Being interested in what Mr. Smith had said, the commissioner looked up at him and asked, "The deadly sword of the Japanese? The Samurai Temple?""Yes, commissioner. The deadly Japanese sword is a blade that can only be earned from the Samurai Te
The click of the trigger made the gun sound like a hollow promise, indicating that the man had indeed shot from another empty space in the chamber."You are a really lucky woman, Mrs. Isabella Rosewood. Let's see if you are going to get lucky the third time. Be warned that this pistol now has one empty space and three loaded chambers. I am going to pull out the chamber right now and spin it so fast before I shoot the next one. Best of luck on being lucky once more."And just like the man said, he did, which made Isabella's fear grow taller, and she screamed out in confessional words."Yes, I spoke on the phone by the dusty door, but please do not pull the trigger. I am ready to tell the truth and nothing else but the truth.” Her teary voice became louder, like a wailing siren, as the man fashioned a silly face out of his frowning face immediately."Oh! Darling, did you just confess to speaking with someone on the phone? Let's see what happens if you have lied again perhaps and I had a
As both the commissioner and Ethan stepped out of the mansion, with Mr. Smith right behind Ethan, and into the compound, the commissioner turned to face Ethan again."I will be going now," he said. With a smile and a nod, Ethan responded without words.As soon as the commissioner left, Ethan began to hear noises from outside. He immediately turned his head toward Mr. Smith, who remained behind him. Mr. Smith understood Ethan's unspoken question, and, with the earpiece nestled in his ear, he said, "Guard 3, what is the commotion at the gate?""Mr. Smith, the press is here, and they are all requesting a session with Master Mark," Guard 3 replied.Hearing what Guard 3 said, Mr. Smith leaned forward and whispered a response to Ethan.At that moment, Ethan sighed deeply and nodded once more. Mr. Smith understood and relayed a message to Guard 3, "Alright, we are coming. Tell them to stop making a scene."When Ethan arrived at the gate with Mr. Smith behind him, all the guards at the gate i
When the man handed Isabella her phone, he ordered, "Speak!” At this moment, Isabella spoke out, her voice quivering with panic."Hey Alexa!""Hello, Isabella. What can I do for you today?” Alexa responded immediately.As Isabella heard Alexa’s voice, a level of solace fell upon her, and her fright was immediately gone. The man looked surprised by what he had just witnessed. Due to the nature of his business, he had never used a fancy phone before, only Java phones. Now, witnessing that Isabella was talking to her phone and that the phone responded back, he was enthusiastic to find out more.Seeing how interested he was, as it was boldly written on his face like an open book, Isabella continued talking."We had a conversation at the dusty door earlier. What was it all about?""That’s correct, Isabella. We had a conversation earlier. It was about the report of your mother's interview with the journalist. You asked me to find information about what the journalist asked her during the in
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