"Renee,” Jason said as he turned around and spotted her bright smile.Much to Amelia’s displeasure, Jason got up to greet Renee. “How are you?”“I'm great, and you?” she beamed.“I'm doing all right,” Jason said with a small smile.Amelia got up as well and stood uncomfortably close to Jason, causing him to move away slightly. “Renee, darling, it's been so long. How are you?" Amelia said“Amelia! I haven't seen you in years! I'm good, you?” Renee beamed“I'm doing great. I see that blond dye is still working its magic on your hair." Amelia said with a slight smirk playing on her lips.But rather than get offended, Renee just laughed it off, the warm sound filling the room. "Well, of course, it is; I paid good money for it after all.”Amelia let out an awkward, dry chuckle at Renee’s reply. "Well, I would love to stay and chat, but Jason and I...”“Renee” A voice called out, interrupting Amelia mid-sentence. It was Bruno, Renee’s husband. He stood next to her and furrowed his brows i
"Jason, what're you talking about?" Renee questioned As soon as the words left her lips, Michael came with Jason and Amelia’s food and drinks.“Renee, Bruno, it was nice running into you two, but Jason and I have things to attend to, and our food has arrived.”“Of course, it was nice seeing you guys as well,” Renee said, her tone slightly deflated.Bruno had his icy gaze fixed on Jason, and Renee had to physically pull his arm to get him to come with her.Jason and Amelia were now seated at their table again, with a bowl of mouth-watering mushroom risotto in front of each of them, but despite the enticing aroma of the dish, running into Bruno made Jason lose his appetite.“Aren't you going to eat?” Amelia asked with a spoonful of Risotto in her hand. “Yeah, but first, I'd like us to discuss the Elysian Syndicate,” Jason said.Amelia nodded. She accepted that no matter how hard she tried to make this more than a business meeting, Jason would make her efforts in vain. "Okay, of course
As Jason sat in the taxi lost in thoughts of the Elysian Syndicate, the predicament with Renee and Lana. He also couldn’t shake thoughts of Amelia and her strange behavior. The sudden sound of a question from the taxi driver jolted him back to reality “Hey buddy, are you alright back there?” the taxi driver asked with concernJason cleared his throat before replying “Yeah, why do you ask?” “Well, I've been asking you exactly where you’re headed for a while now. You didn’t give me an exact location” the driver replied, Jason heaved a sigh as he scraped his fingers through his hair, amazed by how deep he was in the thought that he forgot to give his full address.“I get it, we all get into our heads every now and again,” the taxi driver said with a warm smileJason’s lips curled into a faint smile “Yeah some of us more than others” he said.Before Jason could give the driver his address, the peaceful atmosphere was disturbed as a black jeep swerved in front of their car, blocking the
“Keep your hands up and step out of the vehicle slowly” the officer commanded as he walked toward the taxi slowly, his voice firm and authoritative.“I don't think I can walk out, I'm losing a lot of blood” the taxi driver whispered.Jason nodded “Don't worry I'll handle this” he complied with the officers, coming out of the vehicle with his hands up “Officer, We’re the victims here” Jason said, his tone urgent “There was a black jeep, the men inside it were attacking us, they were shooting at us. One of the bullets hit the driver and he's bleeding out. You need to call 911 he's losing a lot of blood”“Alright Sir, calm down,” the officer said, his tone softening slightly as he assessed the scene. He looked into the vehicle and saw the driver bleeding out “We will get medical attention for the driver”“Thank you, I'd like to go with him,” Jason saidThe officer shook his head “I'm sorry but That won't be possible”Jason’s brows furrowed “Why not?”“You're going to have to come with u
“Reuben, what's up?” Jason said, his phone pressing to his ear.“Nothing much, but I've got some things that I have to discuss with you concerning ‘operation to take your evil ex-stepfather down’," Reuben said in his usual playful tone.Jason sighed “Please don't call it that.”Reuben laughed at Jason's annoyed tone. "Okay, whatever you say, even though I think it's an excellent and brilliant name...”"Reuben, will you just get to the point?" Jason’s voice rose; it came out much harsher than he intended.“I'm sorry. Let me know when you're free so we can talk about it." Reuben said, his tone was apologetic and formal.Jason heaved a sigh. “I'm sorry if I was harsh; it's just that today has been tough.”“What's wrong”“Would you believe me if I told you that I was in a shootout?”“What!” Reuben exclaimed, “Like an actual shootout with guns and people shooting at you? Jesus!” he blurted out.“Yes, an actual shootout,” Jason replied.“When? Where? I don't understand. Are you hurt? Where
“Reuben and Jason agreed to discuss everything about Stefan once they had reached Jason’s apartment. They were now there and seated in the living room."So, what did you find out?” Jason insisted“I think it's better if I show you than tell you,” Reuben said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He pressed some buttons before turning the phone so that Jason could see what was displayed on the screen.It was a picture of a laptop screen. On the laptop screen was an email.“Zoom in to read what the email says,” Reuben said.Jason zoomed in so he could properly see the contents of the email. Subject: Urgent: Finalizing Agreement with the Elysian SyndicateHi Andrew,I wanted to touch base regarding our ongoing negotiations with the Elysian Syndicate. As you know, we've been working diligently to secure this partnership with them, and I believe we're on the brink of finalizing the agreement.Given the recent developments in the market, I urge you to expedite the process a
“Hi Sir, sorry about Camilla. Can I put you on hold for a few? I'll be right back.”"Okay,” Jason replied.After five minutes, even though it felt much longer to Jason, Amelia put the call off hold, and Jason heard her apologetic voice. "Hello, I'm back, sir. Sorry for the inconvenience,” she said.“It's all right. I know it's late, but I need your help with something related to the Elysian Synucate.”"Okay, sir, what do you need?”“I need you to get me the contract that Sinclair Enterprises drew up for the deal.” Amelia hesitated before answering like she was trying to remember something: "Sir, I thought you didn’t want to work with the Sinclair's.”"Amelia, can you get it for me or not?" Jason said it with urgency. “I can, but sir, if you need it tonight, then you may have to meet me. I would come to give it to you, but I'm with Camila, and she’s not feeling well, so I don't want to leave her alone. The truth is, she’s quite drunk too and when she's drunk well it's best not to le
As Jason's consciousness slowly returned, his surroundings blurred into a haze. He couldn't make anything out; all his blurry vision could pick up were indistinct shapes and muted colors. He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the fog that was his surroundings, but his disorientation only seemed to deepen.His head began to throb with a dull ache, the pain pulsing behind his eyes, making it difficult for him to focus, think, or even fathom the situation he was in. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to quell the relentless pounding in his head, but the feeling only got worse.With a groan, Jason tried to push himself upright, but his arms and legs felt heavy and unresponsive. His fingers grope around, and he feels a hard mattress under them.“A bed,” he barely voices out.A wave of nausea washes over him, the taste of bile rising in the back of his throat. He swallows hard, trying to suppress the rising tide of sickness. He squeezes his eyes shut, willing the sensation to pass, bu