It wasn't an apartment per se. It was a single garage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but greens and the toe-coiling sounds of crickets. Mia stiffened against the wheel after she'd been instructed to turn off the engine.Her assailant was still unknown and Mia's stomach dropped countless times over. Fear crept up her skin in bumps, and the cold wind against her face was inexplicable torture.She had no way out of this hole, and the distance was an impossible trek to the city. It dawned on her that she'd been screwed over. This was one of the reasons Oliver had always wanted her to move around with bodyguards.Hopping out of the seat with the gun still pointed behind her, ordering her into the house. No matter how hard she racked her brain, no means of escape occurred to her. She hadn't even been able to get a clear look at whoever it was.Nothing felt right.Finally, she entered the large space. It was empty enough to carry her echoing footsteps through its walls, ampl
The night hung heavy over Oliver's mansion; the tranquility shattered when the peace was ruptured by the abrupt entrance of a dozen masked men. The bodyguards at the gate had already been defeated, and Donavan matched them into the mansion, his eyes keen on every part to make sure every form of movement was aborted. Donavan, orchestrating the intrusion, barked orders with a ruthless intensity that set the scene for chaos. "Attack! Leave no stone unturned!" Donavan's command echoed through the halls as the men, armed and determined, flooded into the mansion like a relentless wave on a sunny morning.It was a scary sight to behold. Donavan gritted his teeth, snarling as his hand pressed against his gun. Oliver was the only one in his mind now, nothing else mattered.If Oliver wouldn't answer to threats, he was pretty sure he'd answer to bullets.The inner room was void of any of that chaos until a guard barged in and relayed to Oliver the appalling scene that was currently unfoldin
The air was thick with tension as Oliver rushed to Mia's workplace, the thoughts of the recent confrontation still reverberating in his mind. Anxiety gripped him as he approached the security at the entrance, desperation etched on his face."Have you seen Mia?" he blurted out, his voice edged with urgency.The security guard, sensing the distress in Oliver's demeanor, shook his head. "No, sir. She left a while ago. Seemed fine, nothing unusual."A knot tightened in Oliver's stomach. "With who?" He inquired again. He'd tried to call her but to no avail. Something was wrong. He could feel it.It wasn't a coincidence that she went missing on the same day he got attacked. He demanded access to the CCTV footage, his impatience driving him to unravel the mystery of Mia's sudden disappearance. All he could do was hope she wasn't hurt. It was simply menacing to think about. The security room became more of an interview room, and Oliver's eyes fixated on the screen as the footage played.Mi
The ringing phone pierced through the tense air in Oliver's office. He eyed the caller ID and, with a heavy sigh, reluctantly answered Viktor's call."What do you want, Viktor?" Oliver's voice dripped with a mix of irritation and weariness. Viktor was the least of the problems now that he had a wild dog like Donavan running around.Viktor had been tamed and was less and less of a threat to Oliver. Viktor's chuckle on the other end grated on Oliver's nerves. "Oh, Oliver, my friend, I thought you might want to know how much of your business was in the streets, bouncing on and off the ears of your enemies."Oliver's patience wore thin. "Cut to the chase, Viktor. I'm not in the mood for your games."Viktor's tone shifted to one of mock sympathy. "Well, well. It seems your dear friend Pascal has been up to some mischief. Got his hands dirty, didn't he?"Oliver's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before it finally clicked, and he sighed… "What are you talking about?""Tom, my dear friend, ma
It was funny how easy relationships got tipped over in the face of betrayal. The weight of it sank on Oliver's shoulders, and he tried to reason— why?Why would Pascal have done that to him, laid his hand on Mia all for an inheritance that wasn't even confirmed to be his? Had his power hunger been something Oliver didn't notice? Because never in a thousand years would Oliver have suspected Pascal to stab him in the back like this It still occurred to him like a nightmare, but reality and reason had already surpassed that. Every single thing Pascal had done was a conscious action, and only he was to be blamed for that. There were no excuses for his actions, no matter how hard Oliver pondered upon it.To betray friends like that took a depth of maliciousness that didn't just spring up out of the blue. It had always been there, deep inside of him, waiting to be ticked off.And now, they were going to meet face to face. Pascal had reached out to Oliver the morning before, and with a fear
Donavan hadn't been found, and neither had he decided what to do with Pascal, but there was an unfinished battle that filled Oliver with every bit of unease. It was worse than anything he'd ever felt.He'd be losing a friend, Mia, too. She'd been discharged and insisted on getting back to work, but Oliver didn't dare to leave her by herself. He had her under survey at all times. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened to Mia.The atmosphere in Oliver's office, usually filled with the day-to-day signs of business dealings, was abruptly shattered by a pandemonium — that's what Oliver would call it as it happened too fast and was uncalled for. Oliver's concentration was disrupted by the sharp tap warrant against the polished wooden desk. Oliver looked up, his expression morphing from skepticism to wary concern as the police officers presented their official document. The police? Why? "What is the meaning of this?" Oliver demanded, his voice edged with a hint of di
The judge tensed up when the door opened, and he adjusted his glasses, pressing it closer to his nose. The strong smell of coffee and old books filled the judge's office. Donavan entered, exuding an air of unignorable confidence. The judge, engrossed in case files, looked up at his displeasure obvious on his face as he didn't like to be disturbed while working, especially by a man as sly as Donavan. He'd heard quite a lot about him, and he knew not to drop his defenses.Donavan, with a sly grin, began, finding a seat directly opposite him. "It's been a while, Reynolds. I bet you wouldn't have thought you'd be seeing me again."Reynold continued to act uninterested, although he was a bit intimidated by Donavan's presence. "But I did," He responded, folding his hands across his chest. "You might want to start explaining why you're here." Donavan cleared his throat, hoping to steer the conversation to his benefit. "I believe we can find a mutually beneficial arrangement that could resh
Donavan approached Judge Reynold in the hallway just outside the courtroom, a confident yet subtle demeanor about him.Today was the day Oliver's reputation was going to meet the final button. They were going to steal everything away from him just as his father had done Pascal's father. The mere thought of it was pleasing to each of his thoughts, and it made him feel even better than he had absolute control over the situation."Donavan, how has life been treating you lately?" Judge Reynold glanced around cautiously as he asked. Donavan scoffed. Just the day before, he'd rejected having to converse with; suddenly, he cared about his well-being. How appalling."Oh, I've been great, dear friend. I guess money does change the way a person is addressed." He tucked his hands in his pocket and leaned back against the wall, staring at Reynold.Somehow, Reynold got to realize Donavan wasn't the kind of man to make jokes with. Aside from the deal they had, he couldn't bring himself to like him