With the anticipation for the journey ahead and his meeting with Christopher, Jason barely got any sleep that night. It was now the next morning, and he woke up groggy and a bit disoriented.His stomach rumbled, and he clutched it in agony. Since the light breakfast he had hastily prepared at Amelia's apartment yesterday, he hadn't eaten. With the emotions from the divorce weighing on him and the preparations for the trip, he had forgotten to eat something.There was no food in the apartment, as Jason barely stayed there. He decided that he'd get something to eat on his way back from Christipher’s.He checked the message that Christopher sent him yesterday containing his address. It was about thirty minutes from the apartment. He got ready in a hurry and then went downstairs. He didn't take the Benz and opted for the taxi instead.The car wasn't his style, and he didn't want to get used to it. He made a mental note to call Timothy and tell him to donate the car.When he got into the t
“Mom?” Jason’s voice trembled as he called out, her name hanging in the air like a whisper. In the surreal and unfamiliar landscape, his mother, Abigail, stood before him.She was beautiful as ever; her brunette tresses cascaded down her back in bouncy curls, perfectly framing her ivory face.Desperation seized him as he chased after her, the dream shifting and twisting with each step. Amidst the laughter of distant children, she remained elusive, running away in a dreamlike ballet. “Wait, Mom!” he called, the park transforming into a maze of memories.A muted groan came out of Jason’s lips as he blinked his eyes open. His body felt heavy, and when he tried to move it, he felt strangely confined. Then the realization struck him like a harsh blow: he was tied to a chair.The rough texture of the rope pressed into his wrists. As his gaze flickered around the room, he was disturbed to find that it had an unsettling resemblance to his childhood bedroom.The bed, draped with faded sheets, s
Jason’s pulse quickened as he sat there. Beads of sweat decorated his face, and his palms were clammy against the texture of the chair. His breath came out in shallow gasps, and the air was heavy with the scent of fear.As the seconds flickered by, the room seemed to get smaller and smaller.His thoughts raced. If he died now, he would never meet his real family and know for sure what or who his mother was running from, he thought.His reverie continued, and he thought of Lana. If he breathed his last breath in this chair, he would never know if Lana was his child; if she was, he'd never know the joy of being a father.Calculated but hesitant footsteps filled the air, boring through his thoughts and bringing him back to his grim reality. The blood on his face blurred his vision, but he could slightly make out when the person entered the room.It was a masked figure; the person was big and tall. That was all Jason could make out. He bowed his head, his chest tightening. So this was his
“Shadow, could you give Christopher and me a moment?" Jason’s voice cut through the air, and the room fell into silence as Shadow nodded and exited without a word.Silence fell between the two for a moment; the tension was palpable. Christopher was the one to break it. "Jason, I went too far. I can't believe what I tried to do. What I did-“Christopher’s words lingered in the air. Before he could finish his sentence, Jason’s fist collided with Christopher’s face, the sound bouncing off the walls like a gunshot.Christopher staggered backward, caught off guard by the sudden blow. His hand instinctively flew to his throbbing cheek, and his eyes went wide with shock and pain.Jason stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face. “All day I've listened to you talk; now it’s your turn to listen,” Jason said coldly. It took everything in him to restrain himself from punching him repeatedly.“You obviously have some unresolved issues when it comes to your childhood, and that’s totall
When Jason got into the apartment, it didn’t take much convincing to get Shadow to come with him. They both enjoyed each other’s company and time always seemed to fly by when the two of them were together. Jason had always said that if they had been roommates, the year that he spent in jail would’ve felt like a day.After washing up and dressing his wounds, Jason finally turned on his phone. He had three missed calls from Timothy and two from Reuben. Instinctively he checked if he had gotten any enigmatic texts, but there were none to be found.He called Timothy, who picked up even before the first ring. Timothy started speaking immediately after he picked up.“Good Evening Young Master, are you okay?” Timothy’s tone was full of concern and his words came out so fast Jason could barely catch them. “Yes I'm fine” Jason replied.He heard Timothy sigh in relief on the other end “When the driver of the car that I arranged for you told me that you didn’t show up I didn’t know what to thi
Shadow had always been inquisitive and curious. That was one of the things that Jason liked about him. It was Shadow’s curiosity that saved Jason’s life. The warden who found Jason’s almost lifeless body in prison was only able to do so because Shadow was insistent on hearing noises like someone was being tortured.No other inmates dared to speak because they knew that Rosco, the kingpin of the prison, was the one beating Jason. But Shadow insisted, and eventually, the warden decided to inspect the area. That's why Jason credits Shadow with saving his life, not the warden.Shadow had also stayed with Jason until he fully recovered. He asked him so many questions during that time, and even though Jason was slightly annoyed at first, he later enjoyed it and liked the fact that Shadow was so interested.Shadow’s eyes would always have an inquisitive glint in them when he was about to ask a series of questions. Jason knew it well; it was currently in his eyes.Jason didn't know what Shadow
Shadow stared at Jason, dumbstruck. “How on earth are you going to?“Jason cut him off before he could finish his sentence. “Don’t ask any questions.” He gazed at Shadow intensely. “Do you trust me?”Shadow was getting agitated. "Yes, of course, I do, but how?”Jason cut him off the second time. “No, don't ask any questions. You will get your daughter back, and I'll make sure of it. Just tell me when you want to give the money to the Steel Consortium, and I’ll make it available.” Jason said it on a note of finality.Shadow wanted to object and ask exactly how Jason planned to get such a large sum. His mind raced as he thought of the different possibilities.‘Is it from the Sinclair's’ he thought to himself. ‘Or is he into something shady?’ Shadow shuddered at the thought of Jason getting into the very thing that he was running away from.His eyes darted around the penthouse. He hadn’t been able to take in the surroundings properly, but now that he had, he was taken aback. How is he ab
It had been two hours since Jason and Shadow had their conversation in the living room. Now both men were getting ready to head out to give the money to the Steel Consortium.Jason grabbed the keys to the Mercedes and walked out of his room. He stood in the living room, waiting for Shadow, while he absentmindedly fiddled with the keys in his hands.Nearly twenty minutes had passed, but his friend still hadn't come out. He sighed before putting the keys in his pocket and knocking on the door of the room that Shadow was in."Buddy, we have to go soon.” His voice came out in a raised tone.No answer.Jason knocked again. There was silence for a few seconds till Shadow said, “Come in.”Jason opened the door and walked into the room to find his friend fully dressed but sitting on the bed as if he had nowhere to be.With a brow raised in confusion, Jason said, “You're already dressed; why didn't you come out?” “Jason… I haven't told you the whole truth about what happened between the Consor