A few hours before Miguel's kidnapping, Reyster Sebastian sat in his lavish office, his fingers drumming impatiently on the mahogany desk. His eyes flickered to the screen of his phone, reading the sudden message from Jason Kiliman, his father’s secretary.The message read, "Your father has decided to change alliances from the William Group to the Gracestone Group, effective immediately."Reyster's face twisted in disbelief, then morphed into rage. His father’s sudden decision had obliterated years of his meticulous planning and investments to build a connection with the William Group.He had spent countless hours cultivating relationships, attending events, and strategizing for future collaborations, only to have it all swept away with one swift decision. He had invested too much money and even sacrificed his ego to please the William family, only for them to switch sides?"Dammit!" Reyster roared, his voice echoing off the high ceilings of his office.In a fit of fury, he threw his
Marcus Xu fearlessly confronted the thugs outside the warehouse, taking them down one by one with swift punches and agile movements.Each blow was delivered with precision, showcasing his training and determination. As the last thug fell, Marcus kicked the door open and boldly challenged everyone inside."Oh damn, they all look bigger than the men I fought outside," he thought nervously, but he ensured no fear showed on his face."Hello, motherf*ckers. Wanna fight me?” Marcus said bravely. “Want to taste my fist?”Confidently, he greeted everyone with his middle fingers while his eyes immediately checked on his brother and Hannah."I'm glad they're safe," he thought with relief, noticing they were unharmed aside from being tied up."Marcus, you can't take them all on! Please, just go!" Miguel shouted, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and desperation. He struggled in his wheelchair, trying to make his brother see reason."Shut up, Miguel!" he yelled back, his eyes never leaving
Marcus inwardly feared for his life, fully understanding the extent of Reyster's craziness. However, he fought hard not to cower in front of him."Even if I kill you now, it will only cost me a little to cover it up," Reyster threatened.Marcus took a few cautious steps back as Reyster menaced him with the metal pipe. Reyster's men circled around him, their eyes showing no mercy. The viciousness on their faces was evident, and they seemed thrilled at the prospect of hurting Marcus.Before Reyster and his men could attack, the loud siren of a police car blared, startling them.“The cops? Hey, check what’s going on!” the leader of the thugs ordered.“You should all go,” Reyster said calmly, and his men hurriedly dispersed.Marcus felt a wave of relief, assuming his brother had called the police. However, something seemed strange about the cops who arrived. They restrained and caught the fleeing thugs, but none dared to approach Reyster as if he were invisible."Did your brother call the
Marcus Xu immediately drove away from the warehouse, not wanting to expose his brother and friend to Reyster and Jeyster Sebastian any longer. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, holding back his frustration.“Marcus, what were you thinking? You can't just jump into a fight like that!” Miguel said as soon as they hit the highway.“Coming from you,” Marcus snorted.“Marcus Xu!” Miguel called his name loudly and commandingly. But Marcus didn’t back down and yelled back.“Miguel Xu! How dare you give in to them so easily? Do you think surrendering will solve anything? Will that grow your legs back? Will that make our situation any better? No! It’s a f*cking no!”Miguel and Hannah sat in shocked silence in the back of the car. Marcus continued to puff and huff in frustration, tightening his grip on the wheel even more.“You always do this, Miguel,” Marcus continued, his voice strained with emotion. “You think sacrificing yourself is the solution. You let them take you instead of me, an
In the restaurant, where they had a variety of pecan dishes, Marcus recovered his energy while enjoying his favorite pecan pie. “Would you be alright, though?” Hannah asked.“About what?” Marcus responded, his mouth full of pie.“You got bruises and scratches. Won’t your CEO be furious seeing you in that state?” Hannah said.“Oh, that’s right! Your face is important! Oh no! What are you going to do? What if they charge you with penalties? I heard actors who fail to maintain their look get penalized!” Miguel interjected.“Stop being paranoid and a worrywart. I signed a contract with them, and it doesn’t state that I have to care about that.”“Are you sure?”“Yes.”“Are you sure you read the contract you signed? Magic Entertainment is a big company; they’re strict with contracts,” Miguel said, panicking, as he tried to wipe away Marcus’s bruises as if they could be easily wiped off.“It’ll be fine. I even left the set mid-shoot,” he said nonchalantly. “CEO Joe will take care of everyth
Before the kidnapping, when Marcus called CEO Joe Sabal to ask about Pablo Rusto, Joe was inside the interrogation room with a prosecutor in front of him."Will you please stop taking calls, or else I'm going to confiscate your phone too," Prosecutor Jeromy said politely, but his tone was cold and commanding."Oh, sorry, he's just a very important person; I can't ignore his call," Joe said, winking at Prosecutor Jeromy. "You know, business.""A rookie artist is very important?" Prosecutor Jeromy asked, his eyes glaring with suspicion."Oh, you heard who called?""You talked as if I were not here. Of course, I heard you," he said, tapping the table threateningly. "Please take this seriously. You're talking to a prosecutor.""Oh, come on, don't be so uptight," Joe snorted, sipping on the Coke served by the station’s officer."This is not playtime, Mr. Sabal.""I know. I know."The smile on CEO Joe Sabal's face remained, which irked the prosecutor even more. He knotted his brows and adju
Strangely, after the kidnapping incident, everything became peaceful for Marcus Xu. He returned to work, settled his brother back in the hospital, and resumed his double life as the son-in-law of the William Group. Well, it was literally peaceful only for him. Since the election campaign period was around, everything was pretty tense for those who were greedy and seeking power. "Why did you ask me to come here?" Reyster asked as he casually entered a dimly lit office where he and some spies to the club usually met. "Do you really not know?" Gerald asked, standing by the window and looking at the night view. "Is it because my family suddenly sided with the Gracestone Group?" he asked cautiously, looking at his co-members with a confused expression because they seemed angry at him. "Are you just acting, or do you really not know?" Gerald snorted. He slowly turned, revealing that he was holding a gun in his left hand. "I... I really don't know. Did I do something wrong?" Reyster res
Marcus Xu entered the fancy restaurant with caution, ensuring no one recognized him. He wore a cap and face mask to cover up, removing them immediately upon entering a VIP room."Sorry, did you wait long?" he asked."It's okay. I understand you're busy," Carlos Roki responded politely.Marcus smiled awkwardly, still not accustomed to Carlos Roki’s submissiveness towards him. He sat down across from Carlos, who immediately called a server to bring their food."I heard you were kidnapped," Carlos said."Me? No, my brother," Marcus replied casually. "Guess who kidnapped him.""Is it Reyster Sebastian?" Carlos asked, his expression contorting with anger."Who else?" Marcus shrugged. He then looked at Carlos with a stern expression. "That's why I called you here.""What can I do for you? That bastard really needs to die soon," Carlos gritted his teeth."Yes, he does. But it's better if he suffers here than in hell. We can’t watch him suffer in hell," Marcus said, sipping the wine that had