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
Reyster Sebastian aimed his gun directly at Marcus Xu, the cold steel barrel glinting under the dim warehouse lights. "You're out of luck, Marcus Xu," Reyster sneered, taking a step closer."Oh f*ck!" Marcus cursed under his breath.Adrenaline surged through his veins as he calculated his chances. He had to escape. Now."Psycho!" he yelled, unable to believe Reyster was lunatic enough to kill him out of sheer boredom."Where are you going, little mouse?" Reyster laughed, enjoying Marcus's fear."F*ck you!" Marcus yelled back, making a sudden dash toward the nearest exit. His heart pounded as gunshots rang out behind him."You can't leave here alive," Reyster's men, who had been lurking in the shadows, sprang into action, chasing Marcus with deadly intent."F*ckers!" Marcus sprinted through the maze of the warehouse, knocking over crates and barrels in a desperate bid to slow his pursuers.He burst through the back door, the cool night air hitting his face as he kept running, ignoring
Georgette was driving along the highway when her headlights caught a figure stumbling onto the road. She slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop just in time to see a man collapse."What the...?" she muttered, quickly unbuckling her seatbelt and rushing out of the car. Kneeling beside the injured man, her medical training kicked in immediately.“Hey! Are you dead? Hey?” She assessed his condition, noting the torn clothes and the blood oozing from a gunshot wound in his shoulder. Despite the strange circumstances, she began to help him."Stay with me," she whispered, pressing her hands against the wound to staunch the bleeding. "You're going to be okay."Marcus Xu groaned, his eyes fluttering open briefly. "Help...me..." he gasped."You're lucky," she said, her voice steady and reassuring. "I'm a doctor."She quickly retrieved a first aid kit from her car and expertly dressed the wound. She was about to call for an ambulance when she noticed flashing lights in the distance."Police?
The next day, Marcus woke up groggily, his head pounding. He reached up to touch his face and felt the tightness of the bandages wrapped around it.“Why does my face hurt? Did the fall hurt my face?” he jolted up. “Not my face! This is my–ugh!” He bent down in pain. “Ugh, fuck it. At least I'm alive.”The pain in his shoulder reminded him of the gunshot wound, and he groaned as he slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.“Where am I, though?”Gingerly, Marcus stood and limped through the house, looking for his saviors. “Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing through the empty rooms.“Hello? Anybody home?”No response came. The house was eerily silent, devoid of any signs of life. “The heck? Where are the people?”Confused and a bit worried, he returned to the bedroom where he had woken up. There, on the bedside table, was a letter. Marcus picked it up and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the handwritten words.---Dear Sir,I'm sorry. Please be me. We left our thirty
All the members of the William family glared at Marcus with disapproval. Their silent protests were as loud as thunder, but only Fermina openly expressed her disdain, shouting at him.“What did you do?” she exclaimed.“What? Don’t worry, I’m not interested in taking everything away from you all,” he shrugged. “Is it just as bad for me? A new workload I never asked for?”“Tell me honestly, what are Gudofredo and you planning to do?” Fermina asked, her gaze menacing.This was not part of her plan at all. None of this was what she expected. No one expected this.“Nothing. I’m as shocked as you all, but as a good son-in-law, I’ll do the job well.” Marcus winked and then stepped closer to Fermina and Michael, looking at them contemptuously. “Now, I think your ears are ready to listen to what I have to say.”“We won’t just follow your orders,” Michael said. “I am still the eldest son of this family. You should watch what you say,” he added, though there was a hint of caution in his tone.“L
No one noticed Marcus harshly grabbing Gregory’s wife by the face, as everyone’s attention was on the doctor’s statement.He instantly silenced Margarette with a menacing glare.“Do you know what happens when you treat people like filth? They might end up like Miguel Xu—driven to the point of suicide."“Isn’t dying easier than suffering in poverty?” Margarette innocently replied, failing to empathize with people like the Xu brothers.“Why do I even bother trying to make you understand?” he groaned, releasing her but unable to calm his rage. He badly wanted these people to pay and taste what poverty feels like.“I don’t get what you’re trying to say. Aren’t you a William too?” Margarette said.“Ha! That’s right, I am a William now,” Marcus dryly laughed. He then tried to confirm if everything Margarette said was reliable. “How do you know all of this?”“Mom would usually express her concerns when she thought I was asleep. She talks to herself a lot.”“That’s funny to hear. Fermina is r
Marcus Xu’s face contorted under his bandages as he walked through the hospital hallway, a throng of media and reporters clashing with his security detail, desperate for a statement."Why now? This old man is really a piece of sh*t." Marcus voiced his frustration as soon as he entered the restricted area where the reporters couldn’t follow.“The family is gathered in the lobby,” Butler Morgan reported, trying to ignore Marcus’s grumbling and focus on his duties.“So you called me just to idle?” Marcus asked irritably. “I’ve got a lot of other things to do, you know.”“But Madam Margarette was looking for you.”“So, is Margarette your boss now?”“No, that’s not it,” Morgan stuttered. “It’s just that everyone is here, so I thought you should be here too.”“As if I’m part of this family,” Marcus said, glaring at Morgan.His time was precious, especially with so much to do with catching Reyster Sebastian.Even though he knew the competent Carlos Roki was on the move, he wanted to make sur
While Marcus Xu was determined and focused on catching Reyster Sebastian and uncovering the truth behind his brother’s death, chaos continued between the brothers Michael and Gerald William in Aurora.The grand doors of the William mansion swung open, and in marched the imposing figure of Chairman Gudofredo, his eyes blazing with fury. His once sharp features, now softened by age, contorted in rage as he took in the scene before him.Michael and Gerald, the two heirs to the William empire, were grappling like schoolboys, fists flying and shouts echoing through the ornate hall."Enough!" The chairman's voice thundered, freezing everyone in place.Michael and Gerald, their suits disheveled and their faces flushed, sprang apart, panting."What in god's name do you think you're doing?" the chairman bellowed, his voice reverberating off the marble walls. "You are the CEOs of the William Group, not children in a playground!"Both men stood silent, eyes cast down, avoiding their father's fur
Marcus Xu arrived at the William Securities headquarters. Despite it being Michael William’s territory, the staff treated him with care, aware that Gregory William had equal power in appointing the next chairman of the conglomerate.“Please wait in CEO Michael’s office. We’ll bring all the files you need there,” an associate said.“No. I don’t want to wait,” Marcus bluntly replied as he barged into the headquarters' security control room, startling the staff.“Leave me alone. I’ll call you once I’m done,” he commanded, ignoring the startled looks from everyone around him.“What are you looking for, sir? It will be faster if we navigate it for you,” a security personnel suggested.“No. Everyone leave,” he said sternly, his commanding tone leaving no room for argument.Once alone, Marcus operated the computers with ease, his past experience as a part-time security personnel coming in handy. He quickly navigated through the controls, searching for footage of Miguel Xu meeting Michael Wil
Marcus's heart pounded with intense rage and confusion. He froze in place, struggling to digest the events that led to his brother’s death."Miguel wasn't just devastated because we were poor and I was murdered? He met these bastards? What did they do that pushed Miguel to kill himself?" he mused.He felt like snapping Michael and Gerald's necks as they remained nonchalant, talking casually about the person they killed and the consequences that led to his brother’s suicide.His veins popped out, and his brows knitted in disgust at the vile people in front of him.However, none of his expressions or intense rage would be noticed by the two because of the bandages wrapped around his face. Michael and Gerald were oblivious to the growing hatred within Marcus as they continued to speak casually."Why do you care about that actor and crippled brother? They don't matter. What matters is that you helped me get away from this jackass's scheme. Thanks to you, I was saved from being framed," Mi
At Aurora, the grand estate of the William family, the members gathered in the opulent study room, the tension palpable as they awaited the arrival of Chairman Gudofredo. The ornate room, filled with dark wood and rich leather, seemed to suffocate them under the weight of the scandal that had befallen the William Group.Ruben, the chairman's brother, lounged in a leather armchair, swirling a glass of brandy. His eyes darted around the room, assessing the anxiety etched on everyone’s faces."Well, isn't this a charming family gathering," he remarked with a sardonic grin. "I wonder which one of us will be the sacrificial lamb today."Lucretia, Ruben’s wife, sat primly beside him, her lips pursed in disapproval. "Ruben, this is serious. The company's reputation is at stake, and all you can do is make jokes."Emily, the wife of the eldest son, Michael, stood near the fireplace, her arms crossed defensively. "Perhaps if certain people had been more discreet, we wouldn't be in this mess," s
Jeyster Sebastian stood in his office, glaring at the mirror as his team bustled around him, preparing for the press conference. The weight of the latest scandal pressed heavily on him. His hands shook slightly as he adjusted his tie, trying to mask his anger and anxiety. The media had already crowded the hall outside, with cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions."Mr. Sebastian," his secretary, Killiman, approached cautiously, his face pale. "There's another problem."Jeyster's heart sank. He turned to him, his eyes narrowing. "What now?""Reyster caused a scene at the William Group conference," Killiman said, his voice trembling. "He barged in, accusing Gerald William of framing him. It’s all over the news already."Jeyster felt a surge of rage. "That idiot! He's making everything worse!" He slammed his fist on the table, making everyone in the room jump. "We need to fix this. Now."He barked orders to his employees. "Double-check the statements, make sure the press kit is
The grand ballroom of the Sunrise Hotel was filled with investors, executives, and media personnel, all buzzing with anticipation.Marcus Xu, disguised as Gregory William, stood confidently on the stage, his bandaged face hiding a sinister smile.The moment he'd been waiting for had arrived.“Let me in!”The crowd gasped, and security immediately moved to intercept Reyster Sebastian the moment he barged into the conference hall. He pushed through them with frenzied strength."Gerald William! Where are you?" Reyster shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. No longer intimidated by Gregory William, he furiously searched for Gerald. His disheveled appearance drew whispers and curious glances from the attendees. Wearing only a robe and slippers, he stood in stark contrast to the polished, high-powered crowd."Gerald William!" Reyster shouted again, his voice echoing through the ballroom. "Show yourself, you coward!"Marcus Xu stepped forward, gripping the microphone tightly. "Ladies and