Gerald's bodyguard glanced curiously at the two women as he adjusted the rearview mirror. They had led him on through unfamiliar routes and onto the pathways that led to the outskirts of the city. The destination was a small hotel in a secluded corner of the city and that did not please him."Sir, do you seriously want me to keep going, we are well out of the city, this is unfamiliar territory," the bodyguard inquired. Olivia who was in the back seat, next to Gerald, leaned across and whispered in his ear while her hand began to caress his inner thigh. “Discretion is key, isn’t it, Gerald? Clara and I wouldn't just let you have us in any random hotel after all," she said in a seductive manner.Gerald chuckled as he waved a dismissive hand. “You worry too much. Besides, Olivia here has a point. Let’s not make a fuss. Just follow their directions,” he said to the bodyguard.The bodyguard clenched his jaw but said nothing further. His eyes briefly at the rearview mirror as he conti
Katherine woke abruptly to the sharp, rapid beeping of the monitors beside Maxwell’s bed. The loud noise broke the peaceful atmosphere of the hospital room, making her awake from the slight doze she was having in the chair. Her heart pounded as she tried to make sense of the commotion, her mind still foggy with sleep. Then, she felt a faint pressure against her hand.Her eyes moved towards Maxwell’s still lying unconscious. His fingers twitched, his hand weakly squeezing hers. For a moment, she couldn’t move, all she could do was breathe. Was this real? She thought to herself as she quickly tried to compose herself.“Doctor!Nurse! Someone, please!” she called out, her voice shaking with urgency. She moved closer, her free hand caressing briefly his forehead as she tried to find any other signs of consciousness. “Max? Can you hear me dear ? It's me Katherine,” she said, loud enough that if he was fully conscious, he'd hear her.Maxwell’s eyelids fluttered a little, for a brief mo
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
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
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
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
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
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
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