However, that wasn't all Alexa said at that moment. "I can teach you how to jump-start a car, Isabella. But even if I do that, I don't know how you'll move this van off the road. Unless I tell you what to do and you do it, regardless of the damage you might cause to the van,""Do I look like I care about this van? If damaging it gets it off the road, then so be it. Tell me how to jump-start this van, and I can head to Eldridge. Remember, I'm running out of time," Isabella said."Alright, Isabella. I'll teach you. So, listen carefully. The first thing you want to do is...""Get out of the van right now, Isabella. Get out!" Alexa suddenly cautioned But Isabella wondered what had suddenly happened and asked,"What's happening, Alexa? Why are you suddenly telling me to get out of this van?""If I tell you to get out, get out. Don't ask questions. You can ask later. Get the heck out of that van now and run!" Alexa warned. However, if it wasn't too late for Isabella, it was a lie. Before sh
Even so, Isabella didn't allow the fear gripping her neck at this moment to become apparent to Elara like a carefully concealed secret under a mask of composure.When she heard Elara say that she was ready to pull the trigger on her, Isabella stopped smirking and maintained a straight face.Within her, her heart pounded in panic like African drums in the jungle, her bound legs shook like earthquakes, and her tied hands grew sweaty like rainfall on earth.Nevertheless, if Elara noticed any of this, it was a lie. And at that moment, she pulled her chair closer to Isabella, pressed the pistol against Isabella's head, and had her skin kiss it."Let’s play a game," Elara said, taking a deep breath as if struggling to breathe, and continued, "If you're a good girl and follow my rules, maybe I'll end your life with less pain. But if you make me angry, I'll make your death slow, and you know what they say about slow deaths, right?""What do they say about slow death?" Isabella asked, fixing h
At once, after Elara hit Isabella on the face, she said nothing more but walked towards the table where Isabella could see her fancy bag. Without understanding what Elara was up to, Isabella observed how she placed her pistol on the table.Hence, Elara moved to the other side of the table, where Isabella couldn't see her face, unlike the back of her head that Isabella saw as Elara walked to the table before.Now, Elara remained silent, focusing solely on the table. Her hands were busily arranging items that Isabella couldn't see, as the table was too high for her to properly observe unless she stood up.Even when she attempted to stand upright and get a better view of what Elara might be doing on the table, she couldn't due to the way her legs were tied together, restricting her body's movement.No matter how deeply she pondered and how far her thoughts traveled about Elara's actions, she couldn't reach a conclusion. Yet Elara continued to remain silent. However, at this moment, a smi
Quickly, as Elara returned to the hole and jumped into it, Isabella was struggling to free her legs. Hence, the words from the police on the outside became audible."Last chance to surrender peacefully. We don’t want this to end badly. Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up."Upon hearing this, Isabella became more frightened as the thought of ending up in jail suddenly dawned on her, and she immediately yelled, "F**king cut loose this motherf**ker!"Like a determined bird in a cage, she persisted in her struggle to cut the ties around her legs. Each futile attempt made her realize that the material binding her was tougher than expected.Hence, when she heard the police say, "Time’s up, We gave you every opportunity. Officers, let’s move in and end this.” Isabella began to see the shadows of the police officers at every corner of the wall she stared at. This made her realize that she was doomed at this moment.Each shadow of the police officer indicated that they were w
"Isabella, the car is just to the left after that corner. Get into it and drive away from these zones before you're found," Alexa said. Consequently, Isabella spotted her fancy car at that moment.Without dwelling too much on how Alexa managed to bring it to this location, she promptly slid into the car and started it, driving away from the area.As she drove, her thoughts returned to how Elara Whitewind had obstructed the road with a road maintenance van and hit her on the head, causing her to lose consciousness. Thus, she suddenly yelled out, "You caused all of this, Alexa!""I apologize, Isabella, if you think I caused all of this. Could you please explain how I did it?" Alexa responded, her voice gentle and reminiscent of an innocent young girl who couldn't find her way home and had to call her mom for help."If you had told me to step out of the car when you realized you couldn't survey the surroundings, I wouldn't be in this mess," Isabella yelled again."Again, I apologize for
Every attempt made by Mr. Smith to encourage Ethan to start seeing someone new and perhaps plan a new marriage had proven futile. Ethan was content with only Sophia and had been providing her with a level of comfort and care she had never experienced before when he was poor.With this, Sophia was content with everything she had compared to when she was still with her mother, and hence, she did not bother about the fact that she had not set eyes on her mother since the moment she had taken her to her father's mansion.All of her wants were met, and her every need was satisfied. She received abundant fatherly love from Ethan as she now attended the best school in the country, and a bodyguard had been assigned to her to ensure her safety and prevent any accidents, whether minor or serious.Hence, she was indeed a happy little girl, and Ethan Mark was happy because she was happy.In the evening of the day, Ethan and his daughter Sophia were returning from the cinema in one of their fancy
Isabella, not having driven too far, suddenly began to hear the sporadic sound of shooting, like an unsettling symphony of distant thunderclaps, which seemed to be coming from Ethan Mark’s mansion. Immediately upon hearing this, she pressed her foot on the brake pedal and brought the car to a halt like a vigilant guardian abruptly stopping to shield its charge from an unseen danger. She then asked,"Alexa, is that what I think it is?""I'm sorry, Isabella; I am not a god and certainly do not possess any kind of divine power to read your thoughts. Is there something you're thinking about that you want me to know? Please speak up.""The shooting? Can you hear it? Isabella asked promptly, still in disbelief over what she heard."Yes, I heard the shooting. It's as loud as fireworks being shot into the sky. I would be deaf not to have heard that." Alexa answered."Good! Can you trace where that sound is coming from? Isabella asked again.Upon hearing Isabella's question, Alexa remembered t
Inside Ethan Mark’s compound, every security guard, under the command of Guard 3 as per Mr. Smith's instructions, assumed strategic positions, reminiscent of a well-orchestrated dance of readiness. At this moment, Mr. Smith was also present in the compound with his two pistols right in his hands as he stretched them forward, ready to shoot any ninjas he saw advancing at him.In this manner, three of the ninjas had been shot right in the arm and ankle and were kneeling on the ground helplessly and in agony by Mr. Smith. He had given a perfect instruction to the guards, ordering them to disable the men in dark clothing's movement rather than killing them, with the expectation that the police would arrive to arrest them in due time.Having delivered six well-placed shots to critical points on each of the three men's bodies, Mr. Smith advanced towards them and kicked their firearms out of reach, as if ridding the scene of potential danger with swift efficiency.In this manner, he removed
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