2024-09-05 00:21:01
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From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 18. The Threat
There was a dark look in Van's eyes as he uttered those words and Blanche was almost drowned in a sea of fear. "W-What on earth are you talking about? Who are you to talk about punishing others for their sins?!" She tried to sound as dominant as she did before but her voice was wavering. Regardless of his faded old outfit, Van was different than the person she knew five years ago. Back then, they spoke however they pleased to him and he didn't dare to so much as look them in the eyes, much less talk back at them. That was one of the reasons she didn't mind her daughter getting narried to him, she wanted to have a son in law she could control. He was much different now. But she believed he was still under her in terms of wealth so it gave her the courage to keep going. "You pulled the short straw by being poor and you don't have anyone to blame for that. Tell me, how exactly are you going to punish us? With more of your empty threats?"Just then, Bianca showed up with Moses by her
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 19. New Van
"Go on, beg for it. Isn't that what you came here for? It must be that the money is important to you right? Maybe that mother of yours is ill? Or you have an outstanding debt? I'll take care of everything. All you gotta do, is drop to your pathetic knees and ask." Moses felt like he was taunting Van with his statement but the latter couldn't even be bothered. He watched calmly as Moses kept poking at him with money issues, asking if he needed rent or if his family was just starving. Next to him, Bianca was totally enjoying it. The look on her face showed that she wanted nothing more than to see him humiliated and it left Van to wonder if she truly loved him during their years of courtship. He understood the fact that couples dated and broke up all the time, it wasn't anything special. But if their life for each other was genuine, they would never be able to stand by and watch the other be in a difficult position. "What is going on here? I don't like having a large group in the hall
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 20. Family Relations
Van was a frail, gentle man with a kind heart, and that was one of the reasons she chose to date him in the first place. She felt that when they married, she would be able to control him however she pleased, and for the time they spent together, she could. Van never raised his voice at her, nor did he ever question her decisions or request, whatever she said was always final. But there he was now, sending chills down her spine with just a single look. "All this is because of the money right? That's all you want. If I give it to you, you're going to leave." Bianca didn't know why but she was getting more scared by his presence. "Though I can't believe you'd actually have the guts to demand any money from me. Shouldn't you have forgotten about it? I mean how else am I supposed to get compensation for my wasted time?""Wasted time? I practically lived for you during our years of courtship, but you lied to me, cheated on me, and even went as far as to almost ruin my life. And you dare o
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 21. A Father
"Babe, you never told me you had a sister." Bianca said, staring from Ivy to Moses. "Oh, so you're the illegitimate child my father had with that prostitute. You have some nerves showing your stupid face in front of me. Didn't I tell you that I'd kill you the next time I set my eyes on you?""And here I thought you would have grown out of that little delusional bubble in your head but I guess I was wrong. You're still as stupid as ever.""Why you-?""What the hell is going on Moses? You have a sister?"Richard Wilson was the CEO of the Emigrand group and he was happily married to Rachel Wilson. They had a son, Moses, and to everyone they were the perfect family. Three years after Moses was born, Richard started seeing someone else, a model. Cori Aldrich was a model known both locally and internationally for her beauty and charm. She even won the title of the sexiest woman of the year for four years in a row. Every man was interested in going out with her but she only chose the best
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 22. A Declaration Of Love
"So I'm a father," Van had been repeating the same thing over and over again, still finding it difficult to believe. "I am a father!" More than the shock he felt, Van was surprised to find that he was oddly pleased by it as well. He had never imagined that something like that could happen to him, he couldn't believe that such magnificent blessings would fall on him when he least expected it. If he was ever going to have a child, van believed it would be with Bianca, since that was the wonan he had chosen to spend the rest of his life with, and he was loyal to her during their years of courtship. If he hadn't gotten in that fight with Bianca, he would have never ended up at the bar, his one night stand with Ivy would have never happened, and he would have never gotten the privilege to be called fhe father of someone. Although it had never been his intention to cheat on Bianca, but Van was glad it was with a woman like Ivy. She had this aura of toughness around her, and she also see
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 23. Marriage Offer
"I initially came here because I had a lunch appointment with a new friend I made, but I'm already too late and I doubt he would still be here. But just in case, why don't I check if he is and if he's not, we can go back to your place.""Okay, but how do you plan on dealing with this mess?" Ivy asked, gesturing at Moses and Bianca. Van sighed and turned his attention back to Moses. "Listen, I have been standing here for way too long and if you don't mind, I'd like to go home."Moses scoffed at his statement. "Do you think this is some kind of joke?! In case you're not aware, you're in a serious trouble here. Not only did you ruin our friend's birthday party and constituted nonsense in such a prestigious hotel, you also threatened me and my fiancee. Do you really think I'm going to let it go?!""He must really think you're joking." Bianca was trying to support Moses but the truth was, she was feeling sad. And as much as she hated to admit it, she felt that way because of Van. He was
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 24. Boutique
After the commotion died down, Van and Ivy left the hotel but rather than going right back to her place, they went to a nearby restaurant to talk. "First of all Ivy, let me apologize for all that transpired between us. Normally, I'm not the type of guy that would do anything to hurt a woman and honestly, asides from Bianca, you're the only other woman I've ever been with. I'm not trying to praise myself or anything, I just want you to know that I'm not a bad person.""Yeah, I hink I know that now." Ivy didn't want to admit it but Van felt like the perfect father figure for her kids. In fact, she was almost glad to have someone like him as their father. "Not to be rude or anything but you need a change of outfit. I wouldn't want our kids to see you wearing that."When she said 'our kids' rather than 'my kids', Van felt a warmness in his heart. He was a father, for real. It wasn't a joke or a prank, he really was a father. It was overwhelming but at the same time…pleasant. "Yeah, I fi
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 25. A Gift From The Heart
Van was surprised to find another of his classmates at the boutique. It felt like he had seen almost all the people he went to school with. "Jessica?""Oh wow, if it isn't my old classmate. It's been a while, hasn't it?""Yes. It really has. Have you been well?""I think that is pretty obvious. Don't you?""Well that's nice.""Would you let go of the poor security now? It's a bit rude to rough handle him like hat. Don't you think?"Back when they were in school, Jessica wasn't one of the Queen Bs but she came from an averagely okay family. Both her parents had to work hard to support her educational needs and she did her best to stand out from other students. Lacking in both fame and wealth, Jessica decided to stand out with brilliance. But even that was difficult for her, and so Van took on the job of tutoring her after class and during weekends. They never actually became close friends but among the others, she was the least annoying. Looking at her now, Van wasn't so sure if she
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220. The Raid
The black SUV tore through the city streets, weaving between cars and running red lights.Rain slapped against the windshield in heavy sheets, turning the world into a blur of lights and shadows.Van sat in the passenger seat, jaw tight, fingers tapping a restless rhythm on his knee.Beside him, Keller drove like a man possessed, silent and focused.Carla sat in the back, double-checking the blueprints of the warehouse on her tablet."Franklin and Third," she muttered."Two floors. Old textile plant. Abandoned for years. No security cameras, no neighbors — perfect place to stash someone."Van’s stomach twisted.It was too perfect.He kept flashing back to Vance’s words: If they think you’re coming, they’ll move her—or worse.He couldn't afford to think about what worse meant.Not now.Not when they were this close.They arrived in less than fifteen minutes.The warehouse loomed out of the mist like a dead thing — gray, crumbling, windows shattered, rust eating through the metal doors.
219. Confession
The air inside the van was thick with tension.Julian Vance sat slumped against the wall, wrists cuffed to a metal ring bolted to the floor.The blindfold was gone, but fear had carved deep lines into his face.Sweat soaked through his shirt despite the cold night air.Across from him, Van leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, studying him like a puzzle that needed solving.Keller sat beside Van, silent and looming, while Carla hovered near the door, tablet in hand, recording everything.No one spoke for a long moment.They let the fear do its work first.Vance fidgeted, his eyes darting from face to face, looking for a crack, a kindness.He found none.Finally, Keller broke the silence."You know who we are," he said calmly."You know why you’re here."Vance licked his lips."I—I’m just an accountant," he stammered."I don’t know anything."Keller smiled thinly."You know enough to get yourself killed. Or saved. Your choice."Vance’s hands twisted in the cuffs."I can’t," he whisper
218. The Aftermath
The night was soaked in the heavy stench of gunpowder and rain.Sirens howled in the distance — getting closer — but Agent Keller’s team moved fast.They swept the abandoned lot, securing what little evidence Moses had left behind: a few casings, tire tracks gouged deep into the mud, a broken phone.It wasn’t enough.Moses had disappeared like a phantom into the night, and worse — he had seen through the setup.Van had barely made it out alive.Inside the mobile command van, Keller slammed his fist against the table."Someone tipped him off," he growled."There’s no way he walked into that meeting with backup unless he knew we were coming."Carla sat beside Van, wrapping a makeshift bandage around his bleeding arm.Her hands were steady, but her face was grim.Van winced as the gauze tightened, but he barely felt the pain.His mind was somewhere else.A traitor.Someone inside their circle.Someone who had sold them out to Moses.Keller paced furiously, barking orders into his radio,
217. The Hunt
The plan was simple on paper.Simple, but dangerous.Van stood at the cracked concrete window of a forgotten motel room on the edge of the city, watching the rain smear the world into gray blurs.Inside the room, Agent Keller was setting up equipment — laptops, burner phones, tiny recorders the size of coins — while Carla scribbled notes furiously into a weathered notebook.Van’s nerves hummed under his skin.He wasn’t a cop.He wasn’t a spy.He was just a man trying to survive.And now, somehow, he was about to help bring down one of the most powerful men in the city."Here’s the plan," Keller said, pulling Van’s attention back.He laid out a rough blueprint of the next 48 hours:Van would reach out to Moses — casual, non-threatening — suggest a meeting under the pretense of "burying the hatchet."Offer him information.Play on his paranoia.The idea was to draw Moses out.Get him somewhere isolated.Somewhere they could grab him without witnesses.If they could catch Moses talking —
216. Warehouse Meeting
Van’s mind was spinning as he approached the dilapidated warehouse by the docks.The wind whipped at his coat, the sound of waves crashing against the concrete pier mixing with the distant hum of city traffic.This place had once been a hub of activity, a center of trade and industry.Now, it was just a hollow skeleton, abandoned and forgotten.Perfect.It was the kind of place where you could disappear without a trace.Van approached cautiously, his footsteps echoing in the empty street.The docks were deserted at this hour, save for a few stray cats rummaging through trash.No sign of anyone watching.But he knew better than to assume that meant safety.They were out there.Someone was always watching.His fingers brushed against the rough stone of the warehouse’s exterior as he rounded the corner.A single light flickered above the entrance, casting long, crooked shadows.A thick metal door was ajar, just enough to let him slip inside.Van hesitated for a moment, then pushed it ope
215. Late Warning
The city looked different in the dead of night.From the back of the taxi, Van saw it all pass in a blur — the glimmering skyline, the fog rolling across the river, the endless rows of apartments stacked up like cheap cardboard boxes.But it was the shadows he saw most clearly.The places where people hid their sins.Van rubbed his fingers over the cracked screen of Bianca’s phone.The evidence was still fresh in his mind — too fresh. The videos, the photos, the recordings.He hadn’t even begun to process it all.But he couldn’t stop now.He couldn’t let them win.The taxi rolled to a stop at the airport’s long-term parking lot.Van didn’t get out.Instead, he stared through the windshield at the flickering terminal lights, his thoughts spiraling.Was this it?Was he about to leave everything behind?Ivy, the kids, his life as he knew it?He couldn’t.He wouldn’t.But he also couldn’t stay.He needed allies.Van stepped out of the taxi and paid the driver in cash before walking throug
214. Secrets
Van didn’t go straight home. He knew better. If they were watching him — and after tonight, he was sure of it — bringing danger to Ivy and the kids would be unforgivable. Instead, he drove to a cheap motel on the edge of town, the kind of place nobody asked questions and the cameras were either broken or faked. The neon VACANCY sign buzzed weakly against the rain-soaked sky as Van pulled into the lot. Room 12 smelled like mold and old cigarettes, but it had a lock on the door and curtains thick enough to block the world out. For now, that was enough. He locked the door, jammed a chair under the knob, and dumped the soaked backpack on the stained mattress. He pulled out Bianca’s phone with trembling hands. Still wet. Still cracked. Still hers. Van sat down heavily and got to work. First step: dry the phone. He stripped it carefully, removing the battered SIM card and the microSD tucked into the side. Both small enough to fit in his wallet. He left the phone shell near
213. Hidden Tunnels
The marina was deserted. The storm had driven everyone indoors, and the usual hum of yacht engines and tourist chatter was replaced by the howl of the wind against steel masts. Boats bobbed violently in the dark water, their ropes creaking like dying animals. Van parked three blocks away and approached on foot, keeping to the shadows. The piece of paper with the coordinates was damp in his pocket, but he had already memorized them. The entrance to the old service tunnels wasn’t easy to find. Most people didn’t even know they existed — relics from when the marina had been part of a naval shipyard decades ago. Now, the city had simply built over them, sealing the past under concrete and forgetting. But Van remembered. His father had worked the shipyards once, before everything went wrong. He found the access point tucked behind a rusted utility shed — a heavy steel hatch, half-hidden by tangled vines. He tugged at the handle. Locked. Van gritted his teeth, pulled a crowbar
212. Meeting In The Rain
The storm didn’t let up.It pounded the city in thick, angry sheets, flooding gutters, choking the storm drains, turning alleyways into rivers of filth.Van watched it from the living room window, one hand curled around a cold cup of coffee.He hadn’t slept.He couldn’t.Not with the bloody scrap locked away in his desk drawer.Not with Ivy pretending everything was fine for the kids’ sake.At 2:37 a.m., his phone buzzed again.Unknown Number.Van snatched it up.A text this time.MEET ME.PARKER’S GARAGE. 4AM. COME ALONE.No signature.No instructions.But Van already knew he was going.★★★Parker’s Garage was an old, abandoned auto shop on the east side, gutted years ago after a fire.Van remembered it from his teenage years — a place where kids would go to drink, fight, and hide from the world.He drove through the drowned streets, headlights cutting through the rain like a blade.The city felt deserted, haunted.Every instinct told him this was a trap.He went anyway.He pulled up
