{ EVERY PUT INTO PLACE} I looked at Rosetta, and I could see the pain and anguish in her eyes. The fact that Diana was all over me was something that upset her, but there was nothing I could do about it. We needed to know where Mr. Dickson was stashing his funds. I got back home, and I noticed Rosetta was acting funny. I laughed, seeing the look on her face. "You now know jealousy doesn't suit you." I said it casually, trying to hold onto her hand. "I told you, you need to take things easy with me. I need to play along if Diana believes I truly love her. We are close to realizing what we want. Can you just put up with me for some time? We are almost there." I said it with a smile on my face. The truth was, I had been trying to get to know Diana, and what scares me is that I am beginning to fall in love with her.We were in the garden one day, and she looked at me and said, "Would you like to meet my father?" The atmosphere was a little tense. "Meet your father and tell him what?" I
{ SHOPPING SPREW WITH DIANA} " What! Don't tell me you mean what you have just said. Do you know what you are asking of me?" Ethan voiced a loud look at me. "Keep your voice down, will you? I know this is a great risk, and you are definitely risking your life, but I am not asking you to do this without getting something in return." I replied, looking around. "What are you giving me then, celebrity boy?" I laughed at the name. Ethan called me, "What about giving you $20,000?" I said it with a smile. Ethan looked at me and laughed. "Are you kidding? Well, if you have just $2000, then I would be more than willing to help you out." I saw he didn't believe me. "Can I have your details?" I gave him the phone, and each of them pressed his digit into it. Ethan's phone chimed, and he looked at his message. "Holy sh*t! Did you just send me $20,000?" He asked with a surprised tone. "If you can do a neat job without getting traced, then I will add another $20,000." Ethan looked at me and
{ DINNER DATE WITH MR DICKSON'S FAMILY }Diana looked at the tattoo that was all over my body, and I could see her blush. "I feel like having you right now," she said seductively." here? right now?" I asked, looking at her weirdly. "Don't tell me you don't feel like having sex with me right now." Diana teased me by looking at my bare chest. I had grown muscular and gotten some packs. I was a turn-on for every woman. "I can't believe Rosetta was having all of this to herself," Diana said, biting her lower lips. "Can you just leave so that I can test the dresses?" I said I felt a little shy. Diana walked out, leaving me alone. I heaved a sigh of relief and quickly changed. "Can we go now?' I looked at Diana after making sure the clothes were all fitted. Diana looked at the girl standing before her and threw the bag towards her. "Have this packed in the car." She ordered, and I looked at her. "Can't you take this to the car yourself?" Diana looked at me, and I could see the look in
{ THE OFFER}"How nice of you to join us." Mr. Dickson said with a smile, looking at Titus. "I didn't know we were having a guest." Titus looked at me and smirked. "Be nice," Diana said again.I looked at them, and I was like a sheep amid wolves. I looked at Jonas and back at Titus as they delved into their dishes, looking at me each time I tried to feast on the food before me. I could hardly eat when Mr. Dickson looked at me and said, "Are you scared it might be poisoned?" I laughed out loud, and they all looked at me. "Is that supposed to be funny?" Davina looked at me and smirked."Why is she here again?" She looked at Jonas, and everyone kept quiet. The atmosphere was tense as we all ate our food in silence. After eating, we all moved to the living room, where Mr. Dickson spoke at length with me. "AI wants to believe you are now part of the family. Isn't it Fred?" He looked at me. I nodded and gulped down the thick saliva at the back of my throat. " Yes." I managed to speak out
{ FEELING UNEASY}As I drove back home, I felt a little happy and scared at the same time. I wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring. The thought of fighting Titus and stealing the campaign fund was all I could think about. I pulled over to the front of my mansion, and I heard the door creak open. Rosetta ran towards me in her pajamas and hugged me. "Wha kept you for so long? You had me worried," she asked, looking at my face. "Is something wrong?" "They are moving the money tomorrow," I said, gently walking with her towards the entrance. "What time tomorrow? Do you know where the money is being moved?" Rosetta asked again. Xavier walked out of his room when he heard my voice. "You are home," he said with a smile. " So, Is it done?" he asked "Yes, they would be moving the money to the prime minister's home. We can intercept the money from there." I replied "Then you need to call Thomas and brief him about what is going to happen tomorrow." Xavier looked at me. "Yeah, I am going to d
{ THE D-DAY}I looked at my phone, and a message arrived from the system. I read through it and knew I had to win. I doubt Shadow Blade was going to help, judging from the rift between us. My heart raced a bit, and I knew I was on my own. "You don't want to be late. You had better get going." Thomas looked at me. I stood up and looked at everyone in the room, and with a teary face, I spoke my mind. "It is an honor to have you all as my friends. I had never believed I would be friends with you all. Let's all meet again after all of this is done." I said it with a smile. They all nodded and looked at my face. "It is fine, Fred. It's a pleasure to have someone like you as a friend too. Make sure you take Titus down. We are rooting for you." Xavier said and looked at me. My phone rang, and I saw it was Diana. "Where the hell are you?" Her voice was visibly heard over the phone. "You sound worried; what is going on?" I asked, looking at Rosetta, who felt a little bit jealous."Everyone i
{ A NEW BEGINNING}I gently stood up with my face bruised as blood oozed out of my mouth. I tried to support myself with my hands and looked at Titus, who couldn't believe I could withstand all the blows that he had melted out of me. I staggered gently and looked at the spectators as they kept chanting my name. "Should we?" I said it from the gaming system with a smile on my face. [LET'S SHOW HIM WHAT WE ARE MADE OF] Shadow Blade said he was rushing towards Titus at full speed. The students all gasped as they saw how fast I was. The camera shutters were visibly heard as many of the students began to wonder how I was able to move fast. Mr. Dickson couldn't believe his eyes as Titus was being beaten all over the place. I looked around with my hands in the air as they kept chanting my name, "Fred! Fred! Fred!!!!!" Part of me felt relieved to see that I wasn't going to die after all. I looked at Titus as his eye turned before the shadow blade delivered the final blow, and he landed on
{ IS IT LOVE? }I clenched my chest slightly, looking at Diana. "What is this that I am feeling? Do I love her, or is it just her heart playing some tricks on me?" I looked at Diana and back at the reporters. For a moment, the time froze, and I imagined just the two of us in the spotlight. With a smirk, I looked at her and said, "You love me, huh? Isn't this another scheme from your father?" I looked at Diana. "I think you have to stop doubting my love for you, Fred. I would do anything to gain your trust." Diana replied " Anything?" I looked at her face. "Yes, anything. Just tell me what you want me to do." She looked back at me. "You can start by telling me where I need to find Flora, Zaco's girlfriend. I went to an underground dungeon as a fighter, and I heard some noises down there." Diana looked at me with a frightened look on her face. "What is it?" I asked, looking back at her. The reporters swam all over us as they took exclusive pictures of both me and Diana. "Can you
{ I AM BACK}Zack looked at me and was surprised. Most of the sympathisers were. "You were supposed to be dead?" Zack stammered, looking at me. "Let's just say I refuse to die." I replied with a smile. "Can you help her up?" I looked at Rosetta, who was on the floor with her eyes closed. Cassandra ran towards me and threw herself at me. She dobbed gently as she hugged me. I know I was the only thing she had left to be a brother. Everyone looked at me, and immediately the coffin was opened. The clergy looked at me and said, " This is a sign from heaven. Do you wish to share your death and return to life with everyone?" He said it with a smile on his face. I looked around to see the faces of so many students, all seated and staring at me with disbelief on their faces. I waited for the podium and grabbed the microphone. "I don't know where to start." I said it gently, with teary eyes. "I remembered my first day at the university grounds; I was just a teenager, but now." I looked at m
CONFRONTING TRAGEDY / THE BURIAL Zack, Richard, and Rosetta had a restless night, each consumed by their own thoughts on the events that had occurred. In the morning, the atmosphere in the mansion was filled with tension. The team assembled in the lounge, with a tense quiet atmosphere prevailing. Zack interrupted the silence. "We need a plan," he stated, his voice unwavering despite the inner chaos he experienced. "Jonas will keep going." We must carefully consider this. Judith was the one who replied first. "We must not allow him to escape from consequences. Jonas has hurt alot of people and now he must dance to the music. Fred wouldn't forgive us if Jonas managed to go unpunished." With red eyes from tears, Rosetta nodded. " I agree. However, we must be smart about all of this. We must not allow our actions to be dictated by our emotions."Diana looked around the room, her face showed determination. "We need evidence. If we can gather enough proof of Jonas's involvement in F
{ CONFRONTING TRAGEDY }Zack and Richard thought of a way to break the news to Rosetta. As they drove back to the mansion, they both pushed the responsibility of breaking the news onto her. "You should do it; you know I am just a member of Fred's crew. And besides, you know her more than I do," Richard said, gently trying to persuade Zack. "We both went because Fred trusted us. Now that he is gone, you are pushing the responsibility on me." Zack packed and looked at Richard. "I am sorry, but the news is going to be devastating to not only Rosetta but to everyone." Richard said and sighed. The two of them looked at each other and said nothing. Zack's phone buzzed, cutting the tension. "Who?" Richard asked, looking at Zack. "Rosetta," he said, showing him the phone. Thier heard beat fast as Zack picked up the call. "Tell me he is alright." Rosetta's voice was loud over the phone. "Can we talk when we get home? We are almost at the mansion." Zack quickly cut her shirt before she sa
{THE BRINK OF DARKNESS }"What is it going to be, Fred? Do I need to shoot her before I get you to talk? Tell me what you know about the system. I know you didn't have it destroyed." Jonas barked I looked at Rosetta and back at Jonas. "You need to believe me when I tell you that I had the system destroyed. What do you want from me?" I shouted in anger. "I want absolute power, and I want my face changed. I can do that with the power of the system, and you are going to help me.'" I looked at Zack and back at Richard. "I will do that if you let Rosetta go and have me as a hostage instead." I replied Emily looked at Jonas and nodded. Rosetta was immediately pushed towards Richard and Zack while I walked over to Jonas. "Take care of her." I looked at Zack as they walked out of the warehouse. "Now you are going to tell me what I need to hear, or I am going to kill you, Fred. You have taken a lot from me. You took my father and my sister and also turned my world upside down, and you are
{ JONAS MENACES}My mind raced as I considered the options. Reasoning with Jonas seemed impossible, but a direct confrontation was out of the question. Ineeded a plan that balanced both."Alright, let's gather everyone in the room," I said, looking determined. The crew moved to a hidden part of the classroom where we could discuss our next plan without being overheard."First, we need to find out where Jonas is holding Rosetta," I began. "Diana, can you get close to him and see if you can find any clues? You’re his sister; he might let something slip."Diana nodded, her face grim. "I’ll do my best. But if he’s involved in something big, he might not tell me everything.""That’s where we come in," Richard said, his voice steady. "We’ll need to keep an eye on Jonas without him noticing. We can set up a surveillance network around his usual haunts. Zack, you’re good with tech. Can you handle that?"Zack nodded. "I’ll get my equipment. We can cover the campus and any other places he frequ
{ ROSETTA KIDNAPPED }I slept with a smile on my face after I and Rosetta had made love. It was the first time we actually got intimate. I stared into her eyes all night before she finally fell asleep. The sound of the alarm woke me up, and I looked beside me. "Where is she?" My eyes flashed around the room as I tried to wake up. I rubbed my eyes gently, and I noticed there was a bit of a scuffle on the bed. I couldn't believe I had one good night's rest in a while, and everything was going back to being war for me. "Rosetta! Rose!!" I shouted, getting into my slippers. I walked through the hallway and stairs leading down to the main room. I was surprised to see a lot of broken glasses over my chairs, and the house was a complete mess. I quickly went to my CCTV footage, and I noticed it had been fired. "Was I drugged?" I ran my hands over my hair as I stared at the television right in front of me. I knew I needed to find Rosetta quickly. I couldn't believe I let my guards down, and
{ JONAS BACK }The university semester was coming to an end. A lot of preparation was going on for the graduating students. My joy knew no bounds because I was finally stepping into society. But little did I know a brewing storm was ahead. Many of the students were busy tying loose ends. Many were saying their goodbyes already, while others were focusing more on their studies. I knew I wouldn't have the power of the system again, so I need to focus more on my arithmetic. So far, Emily has been behaving herself, and I noticed that I couldn't find Alex and Jonas inside the school. I was just coming out of my department when I met with Emily. "What about Jonas and Alex? I don't think I have seen them this semester." I raised my eye brows. "I don't know. I promise to tell you everything, but recently, I noticed Jonas had been . distant. Do you want me to help you track them?" Emily looked at me."Track them? I thought you said you knew everything about them. Why are you really here, Emi
{ BETTER DAYS IN THE CAMPUS}The university was becoming stable, with each student minding their own daily activities. I walked through the corridor of the university, and everywhere seemed peaceful. I decided to sit down, and I looked back to when I became a part of the university. I remember being nothing, a loner who had always thought of staying low throughout my days here. I looked up to catch some of the pretty girls staring at me, and I laughed. I was becoming more of an icon by the day, with many of the students looking up to me. I felt a hand over my eyes, and I smiled. "Rosetta," I whispered softly, trying to get up to my feet. The hand moved slowly away from my face, and I saw it was Davina. "I think I told you to stay the hell away from me." I shouted in anger. "But I don't want to, Fred. I realise my mistake, and I would like to make amends. Can't you just give me the chance for old-time sake?" Davina said it with a sorry face. "Do you think I can ever forget what you
{ JONAS'S PLAN } Flora sighed, her eyes narrowing as she weighed Emily's words. "Okay, Emily. I'll talk to Fred. But understand this—if he says no, there's nothing more I can do. Your actions will speak louder than your words."Emily nodded fervently, wiping the last of her tears. "Thank you, Flora. I won't let you down, I promise."They parted ways, and Emily felt a flicker of hope. But she knew she had a long road ahead of her. She returned to Alex and Jonas, who were waiting for her back at the mansion."Did she buy it?" Jonas asked, leaning forward.Emily nodded. "Flora said she'd talk to Fred. But we need to be careful. She's suspicious."Alex smirked. "Suspicion won't matter once we have control of the system. We just need to keep them off balance until then."Emily didn't respond. Her mind was racing with the possibilities and the dangers that lay ahead. She knew she had to tread carefully if she wanted to succeed with the plan. The plan was simple. They need to know if I stil