“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
"Oh, thank God you're awake; I thought you were dead.”Jason blinked rapidly. He saw a young woman in front of him holding a tray of food. “You must be hungry. Would you like to eat something?”He didn't answer the woman; instead, he took in his surroundings. He was no longer in the tiny room; now he was inside a bigger room in a different place. He tried to move his body, but it was completely limp, much more than before. “What did that crazy woman do to me?” he said as he hopelessly tried to move his limbs.The woman, who he now noticed was wearing a maid outfit, looked worried as she watched Jason struggle to move his body. “Do you need help, sir? Please don't stress yourself too much. Just have some food.”Jason glared at the woman. “I don't want food." He hissed, “What I want is to get the hell out of here.”"Sir, please calm down. I don't want to hurt you. I understand that you're confused, but...”“No, you don't understand,“ Jason snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Listen,
“Camilla?” Jason said, his voice trembling with disbelief. “Jason, oh my God." Camila embraced Jason, her body trembling with fear. “Thank God you're here.”"Camilla, what's going on? Why are we here?” Jason asked as he pulled away from her embrace.“I don’t know. Have you seen Amelia? I’ve been looking for her everywhere,” Camila said, her lips quivering. She caught a glance at Hannah and panicked for a moment. She mouthed something to Hannah that Jason did not catch: “Who is she? Is she the one that’s keeping us here?” "No...no, I’m not," Hannah said as she raised her hands in defense. “She’s not, but her employers are; we need to get out of here," Jason explained “No, no, I’m not leaving till I find Amelia," Camila said as she scraped her hands through her brown tresses.“Do you have any idea where she might be? Where were you?” Jason asked"No, I don’t know where she is; if I had an idea, I'd be there,” Camila answered, her eyes now glistening with tears. “I was outside the ho
“You’re going to get married to our dear Amelia!” The woman beamed.Jason looked at the woman in front of him without saying a word. He was waiting for them to burst into laughter and say it was all a joke, but that moment didn't come. He searched their eyes for any hint of insincerity, but all he found was seriousness and determination.Even though his instincts told him to run and not look back, Jason decided against it. His curiosity got the best of him, and he needed to get the answers to all the questions he had about the situation he had found himself in.“Please don't try and run away again; we don't want to drug you anymore." Camila pleaded like it was a casual request.Jason sat upright on the bed. “I'm not going to run; I just need you two to clarify some things to me,” he said. “By Amelia, you mean Amelia Steele, right?” Jason asked, “Ding Ding Ding” Camila chimed “You’re going to get married to my cousin.”“Amelia is your cousin?” Jason asked; he didn't know how many mor
“W-what” The woman’s voice faltered, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes widened.“I said I'll do it.” Jason repeated, “Isn't that what you want?”"Yes, but if I'm being honest, I didn't expect you to say yes—well, at least not so soon,” she admitted. "Well, what can I say? I really sympathise with everything your family went through,” Jason said, his words dripping with feigned sympathy, which the woman did not detect.With a wide grin stretched across her face, she leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “I don’t want to sound forward, but I think it’s best that we move with haste and don’t delay. I think we should hold the wedding tonight.” She said with so much confidence and urgency.“Tonight?” Jason questioned “This woman is really something,” he added internally, marvelling at her audacity.“I know it's soon, but it will be a small ceremony. I'll call a priest that I know, and we can -”“No,” Jason interjected, cutting her off before she could