Max was on his way home from work when his driver pointed out that a car had been following them. Max turned around and peered through the back glass to confirm. He noticed a silver SUV trailing behind them, so he asked his driver to take a detour."They're still coming after us sir, what do I do ?" His driver asked. Max pulled out his cellphone and called Marcus. "Hey Marcus, I don't know what to do, but someone seems to be following us." Max said with a hint of panic buried in his voice."Calm down master Max, tell me exactly where you are and I'll send some officers to your location this minute," Marcus said, trying to get him to calm down. The driver increased his speed trying to evade the pursuers.But as he made a right turn, the SUV rammed into the back of the car. The driver lost control and crashed into the tree on the alley. He was lucky the air bag got deployed and prevented him from sustaining a fatal injury.Max was concussed and his vision became blurry. His ears rang
Marcus and Alfred took Max to what looked like an old abandoned manor. It was made of bricks and had a distinct look about it. They drove into the main compound and helped Max get down. He was limping as a result of the beating he had taken earlier that evening. "Damn Alfred, you really tuned him up good, didn't you ?" Marcus said as they walked towards the main entrance. It was bolted shit and bound with a set of chains and a heavy padlock. Marcus brought out the key from his pocket and unlocked the padlock and the door while Alfred helped Max stand on his feet. "I had to make it look real, no hard feelings right?" He asked Max who was too stunned by the building in front of him to answer. "Well, Master Maxwell, to your family manor, you see up until now I haven't told you somethings because I was waiting for the right moment, your name, your real name is , Maxwell Arnold Quentin III (the third) You are the only true heir of Lord Archer Arnold Quentin, and Lady Martha Arnold Que
James lingered at Emma’s side until the moon began its descent. She clung to his arm, her voice soft and pleading. “Aren’t you staying the night with me?” Though he hesitated, her glassy eyes made him falter. With a forced smile, he sat back down, intending to leave once she drifted off. Her breathing eventually grew shallow and steady, but James found himself rooted in place. The night outside pressed against the window like a silent spectator, and with every tick of the clock, James felt his resolve weaken. Guilt gnawed at him, an emotion he couldn’t quite define, tangled between duty and something darker. Elsewhere, outside the hospital. Fiona Hawthorn stepped into the cold embrace of the night, her heels clicking faintly against the pavement. She lit a cigarette with shaking hands, taking a long drag that filled her lungs with smoke and a fleeting sense of calm. “You know smoking is prohibited here, right?” The voice startled her, deep and smooth like velvet over
Maxwell leaned against the hospital bed, the weight of Marcus’s words pressing down on him like a vice. His pulse raced, his mind spinning as decades of lies unraveled before him. “Your father,” Marcus began, his tone steady, “was the second-in-command of the Silver Crescent Clan, a family revered for its strength and influence. But his stepbrother, Alphonse, resented him. Alphonse was failing as clan leader—his reign marred by poor decisions and rebellion among the ranks. When certain members conspired to overthrow him, Alphonse pinned the blame on your father, Archer.” Maxwell’s fists clenched as he leaned forward. “So they turned the brothers against each other?” Marcus nodded solemnly. “The accusations created a rift that couldn’t be mended. Alphonse, blinded by paranoia and rage, believed the lies. He feared your father’s influence and sought to eliminate him... and his family.” The room seemed to close in around Maxwell as Marcus continued. “Alphonse hired assassins t
Maxwell stepped out of the room, his footsteps echoing faintly as he walked beside Marcus toward the hospital's main entrance. “You sure you’ll be okay on your own?” Marcus asked, his voice low but firm.“I’ll be fine. Just need some time to think,” Maxwell replied with a faint smile.Marcus nodded but didn’t leave it to chance. As he walked toward his car, he gave a subtle signal to one of the guards stationed nearby. The man nodded, understanding his silent instruction to keep a watchful eye on Maxwell while maintaining a discreet distance.Maxwell turned back into the hospital, his steps unhurried as he let his thoughts wander. The events of the past few weeks had transformed him into someone else. He was a man with purpose now, carrying the confidence of someone who had climbed out of the abyss, stronger and more determined than ever.As he rounded a corner, a faint hum drew his attention. By the vending machine stood a familiar figure. Her frame was smaller than he remembered—it
Maxwell leaned back in the leather seat of the sleek black SUV, staring out at the blur of the city. Despite being discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health, his body betrayed him—each movement a sharp reminder of his recent collapse. The faint hum of the engine filled the silence, occasionally interrupted by static crackling from Jackson’s earpiece. Jackson, seated in the driver’s seat, kept his focus on the road. His stoic expression gave away little, but Maxwell sensed the man was preoccupied, likely replaying the intense conversation they’d had hours earlier. There was more to Jackson than his quiet demeanor—his presence was a constant reminder of the dangers Maxwell now faced. When the car rolled to a stop in front of the towering glass building that housed Maxwell’s penthouse, Jackson quickly stepped out to open the door for him. “Thanks,” Maxwell muttered, hesitating briefly before stepping onto the pavement. As they rode the elevator to his floor, Jackso
James stepped into the hospital lobby, just moments after Maxwell had left. He caught a glimpse of him sliding into the back seat of a sleek black SUV, a man in a tailored suit opening the door for him. It was clear the man wasn’t just a driver—he exuded authority, the kind that turned heads. Tempted to approach, James took a step toward the vehicle, his curiosity burning, but as his eyes landed on the imposing figure of Jackson standing nearby, he stopped. Something about the man’s sharp gaze and controlled demeanor sent a warning signal through James’s gut. Without a word, he turned back toward the hospital. Inside, when the receptionist informed him that Emma had been moved to an executive wing reserved for VIPs, his curiosity only deepened. Though he masked his reaction, the unexpected shift left him unsettled. A nurse arrived to guide James through the exclusive wing. She was polite but distant, her demeanor professional. James couldn’t help but notice the contrast between
The room carried the weight of memories, the scent of aged wood mingling with stale tobacco. Lenox stood near the doorway, his posture rigid, hands clasped behind his back. The faint creak of the floorboards beneath his boots was the only sound, punctuating the tense silence as he stared at the frail figure of Alphonse, his adoptive father, slumped in a king-size armchair. Once a towering presence, Alphonse had been a man whose word could bend others to his will, a force of nature who commanded loyalty and fear in equal measure. But now, age had whittled him down, his frame thin and brittle. Still, the sharpness in his voice remained, an echo of the man he once was. “How dare you show your face here?” Alphonse's voice sliced through the air. “After all I’ve done for you? After the life I gave you, you walk in here like this—a weakling?” Lenox’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. His expression was stoic, carved from stone, his gaze steady and unyielding. Silence was his shiel
The meeting had dragged on longer than Maxwell anticipated. Once all the finalities were wrapped up, he stood by the massive oak door, his dark eyes roaming the room as the members of the silver crescent clan were dismissed. Every one of them made a brief nod as a mark of respect before leaving.“Alfred,” Maxwell called without turning around. His voice was calm but carried the authority of a leader not to be questioned."Yes, sir," his friend answered with a smile as he and he Father were the only ones left in the room with Maxwell."Send word to Lenox. Tell him my terms are clear. I will see him, but, only in the Clan's headquarters, nowhere else," Maxwell continued.Alfred gave a respectful bow. “Understood, sir. I’ll handle it immediately,” he said.Maxwell nodded, "we both know this formality is bullshit, so stop calling me sir" he said as he turned around and went up the staircase leading to the private wing of his house.Katherine was upstairs by the window. She watched the
Maxwell relaxed in his seat and finished the last piece of pancake on his plate. The warmth of the morning sun, poured over the table in the dinning. Katherine, was sitting beside him, she moved her coffee mug, and gazed up at the ceiling.They hadn’t spoken much that morning, but the silence wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, it was more like the calm before a storm.A silent knock on the door was heard before Jackson came into the room, as always, dressed in black. Behind him, a group of guards carried items they recovered from Maxwell’s former apartment. One by one climbed on the stairs to put the boxes into one of the guest rooms. Jackson, however, lingered behind, his demeanor was however a bit hesitant."Sir may I have a word with you, in private," Jackson said calmly, but in a way that wasn't obvious. Katherine’s head raised up, her expression unreadable but tense. Maxwell saw the hint of concern on her face."Whatever it is, you can say it in front of her," Maxwell said in a c
Light reflections streamed through the curtains in her room while Emma drank her coffee and the thoughts of Maxwell filled her head. When she went to see him in the clinic, previously, she had been unwelcomed and uncomfortable by Katherine's overprotective yet polite presence. It hadn’t gone well. But she could not let that be the reason she'd stay away from the man she loved.With a renewed determination, Emma dressed carefully, choosing a soft blue blouse and jeans, casual but polished. She got her hair into a tidy ponytail and reached for her car keys before leaving the house. Maxwell had a soft spot for small, kind gestures, and so she stopped first at the farmer's market to get him some of his favorite fruits.The market was bustling with activity when she arrived. She walked around the stalls, her former memories clinging to her, dragging her back to a time Maxwell would talk about the juiciest strawberries or crunchiest apples. She picked out a box of strawberries, a clust
Katherine's car came to a stop at the main gate of Maxwell's Manor. She called Jackson from her cell and he told the guards at the gate to let her in. She drove and parked on the gravel driveway. The manor, looked way better than she remembered it. It had been a while since she stepped on the grounds after she finished her work. Katherine barely noticed the guards as she stepped out of the car, her heart was still racing. She had never been so frightened yet so determined. Grabbing her bag she climbed the stone steps and pushed the doors open.Maxwell was in the living room, and was seated in a high backed chair beside the fire. He had come down a few minutes earlier to stretch his legs and relax. He looked away from the flames and turned towards the sound of the door. He barely risen before Katherine rushed toward him.“Maxwell!” she cried, throwing her arms around him. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she held on to him, her entire body shook mildly.Katherine, It’s all righ
Lenox paced his dimly lit office, the air was thick with the aroma of cigars and the scent of old leather. His mind was a could of thoughts as he thought about his brief phone call with Alfred. The confidence in Alfred’s tone was undeniable, and it left Lenox feeling nervous.Gerald, his trusted associate, had been missing for days, and now he knew why. Alfred had him. But Gerald being taken wasn’t the problem , the real threat lay in what Gerald knew. For the past weeks, Lenox had built his faction’s financial wealth with him as well as a network of plans and resources that had them in a more advantageous position than Maxwell and his allies. Gerald was privy to every detail. The offshore accounts, shipments, and even safehouse locations. If Alfred extracted this information, Lenox’s faction would crumble overnight.Another alarming thing was Gerald had knowledge of the key warehouse locations where Lenox stored cash reserves and other critical assets. If Maxwell’s faction
Maxwell sat quietly in the back seat of the car, his gaze fixed on the countryside as they drove away from the clinic. The previous week had been quite the cycle of recovery mixed with the residual pain, and exhaustion. Despite having been released from the hospital, he was cautioned against going home in a hurry. The lingering effects of the poison continued to be present in his body, and he would experience some of those symptoms. But Maxwell was particularly concerned with a list of other problems especially with the matters of the Clan.Alfred, his partner in crime had come to pick him up and sat with him in the car. He had come along with some of his personal guards for extra protection, and Maxwell did not object. The air was filled with an unspoken urgency.“Alfred.How’s the progress on the restoration of the manor?” Maxwell asked, his voice was weak but clear enough to be heard.Alfred stared at him, wondering why he asked. “It’s finished. Exactly as you requested. The
Alfred slumped in his chair and the shadow of the laptop screen fell across his face as he looked through the offshore balance on the screen. Transfers of money were being processed. It wasn’t his first time handling such financial matters, but the weight of responsibility since Gerald made the transfer felt a bit heavier. Since his temporary as the second-in-command of Silver crescent Clan, Alfred understood that sometimes , money could be classified as the common denominator of life and death.His focus broke abruptly when his father’s voice echoed through the house. "Alfred!" Marcus called, his tone unusually joyful.Alfred shut down the laptop and walked out of his room. He saw Marcus in the corridor, and his face was ecstatic with joy as If a child with a playful experience. "Maxwell’s awake!" Marcus exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.Alfred paused for just a second and allowed the statement to register. In that instant a smile appeared on his face which showed a m
Emma forced the door shut as she entered her parents home with anger still bubbling within her. The sound of the wooded door being shut startled her mother who was sitting in the living room not far away. Her face was flushed, her jaw tight and it seemed like she was in the brink of tears .Fiona turned to face her daughter, Emma's mood was obvious across the living room.Fiona paused to drop off her knitting needles. Her face changed as she frowned in distress. Putting aside her work she stood up and moved over to her daughter whose anger and pain was plainly visible.“Emma? What’s wrong, sweetheart? You look upset.” Fiona asked gently, her voice soft but curious. Emma bit her lower lip as the look in her eyes gave off a suppressed anger. For a moment, she hesitated, but the emotion bubbling inside her proved too much to contain."It's that woman Katherine," Emma said and with that she slumped onto the sofa, looking defeated.Fiona sat beside her, waiting patiently for her daughter
Liam pulled the SUV up to the rear of the compound, the sound of the engine replaced by silence of midnight. Behind him, two of Alfred's men opened the back of the vehicle and carried Gerald’s body onto their shoulders. They had knocked him unconscious as he continued to struggle in their way to Marcus' house."Come on," Liam whispered and his voice was low so as not to wake Marcus up by that time.They moved him behind trees through the shadows of the compound, their movements were calculated , their only source of light was the moon but that was okay as they recognized the compound off heart. Liam opened the large wooded door that led to the basement, a place that was either used for storage or activities they didn't want others to be aware of. As they entered, they found only one light bulb was lit. At the center of the spacious but almost dark room was Alfred who sat behind a desk at the center of the room, calm and deliberate as ever. Upon the desk lay a bottle of whiskey