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2024-04-22 18:36:45A black Audi pulled into the huge driveway of the Troyes’s estate, and a man stepped out of the car. It was Ben Rhys. He looked around the estate and nodded his head impressed.
“Not bad,” he said to himself.His search for Aaron was almost over. Based on the information he had conjured, Aaron was likely living here. He had read all about him. After searching for him for over fifteen years, he was relieved to realize that he was still alive. And living well too. Ben walked up to the massive porch of the mansion before him and pressed the doorbell. He placed his hands behind him and waited.Inside the house, Lilian was rushing down the stairs. It seemed she was the only one at home presently. She arrived at the door and opened it in disinterest. It revealed a dirty blonde-haired man with a shaved beard who looked to be in his late forties. His brown eyes which looked slightly hazel gazed at her in surprise. She was stunned to find the unfamiliar man on her porch. Where were the guards?“Good evening, Mrs. Troyes,” Ben greeted gently.Lilian who was holding the door raised an eyebrow at him not buying into his sincerity.“Who are you? And how did you get in here?” She asked.Ben chuckled and stretched out his hand.“I am Ben Rhys,” he said.Lilian’s eyes went to his hand. She was confused.“How were you able to get in here?” She asked again.“Well. I drove in,” he replied.Lilian scoffed at the sincerity of his words.“And the guards?” She asked.Ben stepped aside and gave her a view of the situation. All the guards seemed to be lying across the lawn motionless. Lilian’s eyes widened in surprise. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she felt she was in danger.“Then they wouldn't have let me in if I told them to,” he explained.“So you killed them?” She asked, almost shrieking.Ben chuckled.“No. They are simply asleep,” he replied. “They’ll be fine in a couple of hours.”Lilian realized that she had no one to protect her. She was in grave danger. She took a step backward in fear. Ben saw this and found it amusing.“I’m not here to harm you, Mrs. Troyes,” he assured. “I’m looking for someone.”Lilian paused, not completely buying his gentle attitude.“Who?” She asked.“Aaron Warren,” he replied.Her eyes widened for a few moments and it confirmed that she knew about him.“I assume he is your husband?” Ben added.“He was,” Lilian replied, placing her hand on her forehead.Ben was stunned by this.“You guys are separated?” He asked.Lilian nodded.“A few weeks ago,” she replied.“And where can I find him?” Ben asked.“I don’t know,” Lilian replied too hastily. “I heard he moved to an apartment just downtown. I didn’t quite catch the name though.”“Thank you, Mrs. Troyes,” he said, stepping backward. “Have a lovely evening.”Lilian watched the strange man walk back into the black Audi that seemed to be parked amid the bodies of her sleeping guards which were scattered across her huge lawn. She didn’t move an inch until she saw the Audi drive out of the estate. As she gazed at the bodies of her sleeping guards once more, a question struck her mind.What just happened?***Ben Rhys looked at the address on the paper in his hands now. He had traced down Aaron here. This was where he was staying presently. The downgrade he had faced made Ben feel ashamed for not finding him sooner. Aaron didn’t deserve what he was going through. He placed the piece of paper in the pocket of his black coat and walked into the apartment building.A few minutes later, he was standing before a green door which was the door to Aaron’s apartment. And with a sigh of relief, he knocked on the door. He could hear movements in the house and could also hear the sound of loud piano music playing. Ben placed his hands in his pockets and shook his head. He waited patiently but an answer seemed unlikely. Ben knocked again, this time more impatiently.Finally, the door swung open revealing Aaron. Ben almost took a step back as he saw him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. After a decade and a half of searching, he finally got to meet him. His silver eyes and black hair confirmed the conclusion of his search.He was the one. The loud piano music was now blaring out of the apartment. Aaron looked at the man in confusion and rage. He reeked of alcohol and Ben’s assumption was correct when his eyes fell to the bottle of scotch in Aaron’s free hand. Ben immediately felt pity for him. Aaron was waiting for an explanation from the strange blonde man at his door but nothing happened. He was resisting the urge to slam the door in his face.“Aaron Warren?” The man called.Aaron’s silver eyes gleamed in shock. The man seemed to know who he was. This left him perplexed. There was a searing question on his mind and it finally managed to slip off his lips.“Who the hell are you?”
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HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 4
“Are you kidding me?!” Aaron shrieked as he rose to his feet. Ben who was now in his apartment was seated on a futon with a calm expression on his face. He was trying to tell Aaron about his past, but Aaron seemed to be in disbelief. He didn’t expect him to believe him so soon. The Lacroixs had lost their son for over twenty years now, long before he began working with them. Aaron in that period must have gone through hell in foster homes. Ben understood the pain he had been through. He was always there with Aaron’s mother, Mrs. Amiri Lacroix through those turbulent times, especially when she had lost her husband, Darius too. He had been with her through all the pain, and now she was about to die. Ben knew he had to find her son. It was her dying wish to see him before she passed away. Ben had scavenged the whole country looking for Aaron, and now he had finally found him. Aaron looked at the blonde man in the black coat sitting on his futon. He seemed to have lost his mind. The lou
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 5
Ben reached for the door and swung it open. On the porch stood a man dressed in a black suit. He was partially bald and had a pair of glasses on. Ben smiled as he recognized the man. “Come in, Mr. Meyer,” Ben said stepping aside. The man nodded and stepped into the house. Mr. Meyer was The Lacroixs’ lawyer. He had the documents for all the properties that The Lacroix owned. He was also their legal advisor and knew Ben for a while now. “Thank you, Ben,” Mr. Meyer said touching his glass. “I heard about Mrs. Lacroix.”A distraught look appeared on Ben’s face. He wasn’t particularly happy to be reminded of Amiri’s demise. “And I brought the documents you asked,” Mr. Meyer continued. “Though I think it's strange that you would ask for them. They are all perfectly safe with me.”Ben sighed and nodded his head. “I know that Mr. and Mrs. Lacroix trusted you with them, but he asked for them,” Ben said. Mr. Meyer sighed and touched his glasses again, this time pushing them to the bridg
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 6
A black Cadillac drove into a huge estate and halted at the foot of a glamorous mansion. The door opened and a figure stepped out of it. It was Roman Lacroix. He was wearing a white T-shirt with a pair of black shades. Roman took off the shades and gazed at the surroundings. It was beautiful, hits like he had pictured it to be. After seven years of being away, he was finally back in New York. But there was something different about him. His jet-black hair was shorter than usual and his body’s physique was more impressive than it was before. He had an athletic build now and looked stunning in his white T-shirt. The doors of the huge mansion spread open and Ben walked out of it briskly. He had a black shirt on and his hair which was usually dirty blonde now had white strands creeping in from the sides. His usual shaved chin had stubbles now. The trunk opened and he reached for the suitcases in there. “Master Roman,” he greeted. “Welcome home.”Roman nodded and walked to him. “Thank y
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 7
The crowd at the party was massive. There were flashes of paparazzi all over the red carpet. Many distinguished guests had arrived, and they were taken shots by the drooling paparazzi. The Troyes’ party seemed grand and something of a ball. It had been the talk of the town, and it had met its expectations with aplomb. Amid the ruckus, a black Porsche pulled over. The door opened and a figure stepped out of it. It was Roman Lacroix. He was stunning tonight and it caught the attention of the onlookers. His jet-black hair was combed neatly and his silver eyes showed at the lights. His black suit had a floral design and a shawl that was wrapped in the middle of it. His white undershirt sparkled and highlighted his olive skin. He was gorgeous. Roman didn’t want to catch the attention of everybody, but Ben had picked out this hit perfectly for him and had helped him dress up. Tonight was his big entrance, and so he needed to stand out. Roman straightened his suit and tugged at his bow tie.
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 8
The sound of glass shattering startled Lilian. She was seated on the couch with her husband, watching her father live out his rage. Meeting Aaron at the party was the last thing either of them had scorched to happen. It felt like Aaron couldn’t go away no matter how hard they tried. She had divorced him, and for things not to get weirder, Lincoln had fired him from the company. That was supposed to be the end of Aaron Warren, but here he was back in New York with a new name and huge wealth. “How is this possible?” Lincoln asked rhetorically. Lilian clenched her jaws in fury. David seemed to be the only unfazed person in the room which boiled down to the fact that he hadn’t been around when Aaron was around. Lilian had met David a year later after she divorced. David never expected Aaron to have such an impact on the family. He was more confused than angry. Having his wife's ex-husband around wasn’t that appealing to him either. What if Lilian went back to him? At this point, that se
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 9
Lincoln Troyes was running through some documents when his door swung open. He looked up at who barged into his office and it was David. Lincoln wasn’t pleased by this. He didn’t want to be disturbed as he sorted out these documents. With Roman around, he was trying to see how he could take him off his company. That wasn’t going to be an easy fest because the other shareholders knew of him now. And getting them to agree on selling off his share didn’t seem possible. Roman seemed to have won their hearts already, and this upset him. David Troyes stood before Lincoln’s desk with a laptop in his hand. His black hair was scattered across his forehead which was covered with sweat. He was in his white undershirt now with the sleeves folded. Lincoln wondered what would have brought him here. “What is it, David?” He questioned. “Lincoln. I think you may want to have a look at this,” he replied, moving closer to the desk. Lincoln cringed hard when David called his name. He had warned him s
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 10
Roman gazed out the glass wall in his office as he stared down at the busy streets of New York. The morning sun in all its glory bathed his office making Roman look like a god made of gold. Everything was going according to plan. Troyes Inc. was going to go down soon, and he would watch it burn to the ground. It was a brilliant idea to sell his shares to random investors. He knew that if the supply became greater than the demand, the company’s stocks would drop drastically. He had been banking on it, and it had worked impeccably. Now all he had to do was wait for Lincoln to come begging. But it didn't seem likely. Roman knew Lincoln was a stubborn man with pride and he would find another way to try and revive his company. But that didn’t seem likely. The one solution that Lincoln currently would be to bring more investors, and that would even make his stocks depreciate. The true only solution was to buy back the stocks from all the investors, and Roman knew there was only one person
HANDS OF RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 11
Eric Hilton stepped out of the black sedan and wore his black jacket. He had red hair which lit up his pale skin and his brown eyes. His mustache which was curvy all together gave him a funny look. He was dressed in a white shirt with a black leather jacket over it. At his hip was a holster with a loaded gun and a police badge on the other side. Eric had a stern look on his face, and together with his funny-looking ginger mustache, he looked menacing. Before him was a crime scene which was decorated with an ambulance and several police cars. Eric walked towards the yellow tape that surrounded the house which seemed to be the crime. There was a policeman guarding the yellow tape, blocking off the crowd of civilians from approaching the scene of the crime. Eric arrived at the yellow tape and the police officer flashed him a smile. “Detective Hilton. Welcome,” the policeman announced. Eric Hilton nodded in response. “Thank you, Brady.”“My pleasure.”Brady lifted the yellow tape enab
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- HANDS OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER 200
(EPILOGUE)Roman stepped back into the house and he found a figure sitting on the couch waiting for him. He clenched his jaws as he walked into the room. He was eager to see who had interrupted his grieving session. He had been to let all the pain out. The guilt he felt for watching his mother die and also not being there for his parents while they were alone hit him hard. He just needed that space but he wasn’t going to get that now. As he came closer, the figure sat at the couch with a tea cup in their hand. Roman squinted his eyes as he tried to recognize who it was. The figure finally turned around and faced Roman. Roman was immediately shocked by what he saw. “Nuo?” He called in surprise. Nuo Feng, who was dressed in her customary robes, rose from the couch and smiled at him. Roman was in disbelief. The last time had seen her was when he had visited Shanghai. That was because he had been hurt badly in a confrontation with Viper Don’s men which had left him paralyzed. But
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CHAPTER 199
“There you go,” Ben said, handing him a bouquet. Roman gave him a weak smile and got the bouquet of yellow roses from him. “Thank you, Ben.”Ben nodded. “If you need anything. Just call me.”Roman nodded and Ben turned around leaving him. He was now alone in the graveyard of his parents all dressed in a black suit. With the bouquet in his hands, he stepped forward and stood before the headstone of both his parents. With a smile, he picked out one of the yellow roses and placed it on his mother’s grave.“Hello, mum. I’m back,” he said with a smile. He moved to the next headstone and dropped another flower on it. This was his father’s. Roman clenched his jaws as he stared at his father’s headstone. He could feel the guilt consume him as he looked at it. It was hard for him because he couldn’t remember what his father looked like, nor did he have any memory of who his father was. The only reason he remembered him was the pictures in their old house, and the video of him leaving th
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CHAPTER 198
Roman stretched on the bed as he woke up before opening his eyes. He looked around and realized that the morning sunlight had washed into the room, illuminating the bed on which he lay. Last night was amazing. After winning the award for the entrepreneur of the year, he had come back to the suite with Florence where they had sex. Just as she was about to climax, she said the magic words. I love you. Roman didn’t know what to say back then, but he felt he had an obligation to say what he felt about yet too. And he was going to tell her when they had breakfast. He turned to the other side of the bed to meet her only to find it empty. This startled him. He rose from the bed and looked around the room. There was no trace left of her being her last night. That was awkward for him. Roman rose from the bed stark naked and walked towards the bathroom. He opened the door and stepped into it. He found water droplets on the floor which meant that she had been here awhile ago. He reached
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CHAPTER 197
Roman Lacroix opened the door of his suite and stepped inside. On the other hand was his award which he couldn’t quite wrap his head around how he had won it. He had been stunned when his name was mentioned. After making a speech, he received the award which made him feel better. That was two awards he had won now, but who was counting? He wondered if the universe was finally paying him back from all the torture he had undergone at the hands of Viper Don. But that didn’t matter much to him. If that was the case, then he would gladly accept it. The door of the suite was closed and he turned around to see Florence coming in with her purse in her hand. She still looked amazing, and he was surprised that he hadn’t noticed that until now. She was amazing in her black dress which exposed her cleavage. Roman found it hard to look away. Florence noticed Roman looking at her and she couldn’t help but smirk. They had decided to spend the night in suits and travel back to New York the
- HANDS OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER 196
“Roman! You won’t believe this!” Ben said as he closed the door. Roman who was sitting on the couch with a glass of scotch in his hand turned to Ben who had an envelope in his hand. He wondered what he could do there. “What is it?” Roman asked. “I think it is for you,” Ben replied, handing over the envelope to him. Roman, confused, got the envelope and immediately tore the seal. He reached into the envelope and brought out a letter from it. After reading for a few moments, he was left in awe. Ben noticed the change in Roman’s facial expression which made him more curious about what could be in the letter. “What is it?” Roman read the letter one more time before turning to him. “It’s an invitation,” he said. “To where?” Ben asked. Roman turned back to the letter. “It says here, Dear Roman Lacroix, amazed by the works you have carried out in your hometown, Brooklyn. We are delighted to invite you to the prestigious annual Entrepreneur Awards night. We will b
- HANDS OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER 195
Roman walked through the hallway of the precinct as he headed towards the other entrance. He had contemplated this for days, and he had finally come to a decision—he was going to get the key to the city. He deserved it. Oliver had made him realize this. After saving his life on multiple occasions, he realized that there were a lot of things that he had done that went unnoticed. He had been able to take three powerful men down with Viper Don being the strongest. It hadn’t been easy, but he had done it. The last mission made him feel that he could do anything if he put his mind to it. Saving Susan from the mighty drug lord, Frederic El Mataso, made him realize that there was more to his capabilities than he knew. Eric and Adam were waiting nervously just as the mayor went to the podium to give a speech. They were still inside the building waiting to be summoned. It was a big day for them, but that didn’t stop Eric from wearing his trademark black leather jacket. Adam on the other ha
- HANDS OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER 194
Brooklyn, New York. 6:45 AM.“Well, that was fun,” Oliver said as they stepped off the jet. They were greeted by the morning’s golden light which washed upon them as they walked out of the hanger. Oliver still had the black duffel bag in his hand but it didn’t contain ammunition anymore. It was money. A whole lot of it. They had cashed out on all their artifacts last night and made their way with the excess of it. Roman was calm as he walked out of the hangar. He was dressed in a new black suit and his hair was combed neatly. He looked all refreshed. Last night was hilarious, and it was hard to believe that it had happened.They had made their way with one of the most expensive jewels ever, and all Roman did was blackmail him. They couldn’t say that Frederic El Mataso wouldn’t come after them but who cared? They had hit the jackpot again. Roman had the ring in his hand and he stared at it as he made his way towards the crew. At a distance, a black Cadillac was heading towards them
- HANDS OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER 193
Frederic El Mataso wasn’t fazed by the sight of the guns being pointed at him. He had been through much more than that. What he was worried about was the men at the table with him who were already terrified at the sight of the men. “If you don’t want to end up like the guards there, I strongly suggest you all leave,” Roman ordered. The men looked at each other before running out of the room. The door shut behind them and they were left alone in the room with Susan and Frederic. Susan rose to her feet and went immediately to Oliver, pulling him into a hug. Roman, on the other hand, lowered his gun and walked to the poker table, sitting on the other end of it. He had one of his guns pointed at Frederic who still didn’t seem fazed by this. “I know who you are,” Frederic said. “You’re the famous Roman Lacroix.”Roman smiled at that. Sometimes, he forgot that he was known throughout the country. First, it was the Russian mafia leader, now it was El Mataso. He was making a name for him
- HANDS OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER 192
“Bring her in here,” Frederic El Mataso ordered. The door opened and Susan was dragged into the room. Her hair was ruffled and her face was drenched in sweat. She had just spent the whole day in the basement and now she was about to be given a death sentence. The room had a poker table with men seated around it, Frederic included. Frederic El Mataso was a plump man with a weird mustache and heavy eyebrows. He was dressed in a black suit with his bloated stomach trying its best to stay in the white undershirt he wore. There was only one thing that caught Susan’s eye. It was his ring. The ring was glowing as he rubbed his chin with a grin on his face. “Bring her closer,” he ordered. The guard dragged her on the floor as he brought her to him. Susan was kneeling before Frederic now who was still rubbing his chin as he stared down at her. “You piece of shit! You think you’re going to get away with this?” She yelled. “She’s a feisty one,” he said to the men at the table who chuckle
