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
"What happened, Donavan?" Pascal asked, his voice raised up a notch as he made his way into Donavan's office. His anger was palpable; he wore it in his sleeves, his bloodshot eyes holding Donavan's.He walked closer to Donavan's desk and hit his palms against it; the impact sent the files and a few items scattering on the tiled floor. Donavan leaned back, and he didn't need a word to know how angry Pascal was about the fucked up situation.It all happened so fast, and he couldn't pinpoint the dent in his plans either. He'd strategized so carefully with Reynold, and their missing was protected. Yet, Oliver, despite his being in confinement, managed to stay one step ahead of them.Thinking about the wasted effort made Donavan feel a lump rising at the back of his throat. It was definitely the worst thing he'd ever experienced in his entire life of being in business. It killed him more than Pascal could think of.And Pascal shared those grievances, along with anger churning in his stoma
Bill stood next to the lawyer, who was seated directly opposite Oliver. The case had been successfully adjourned just as they had planned, which gave them more time to restrategize.The case was a scare for Oliver, especially with the rate of escalation, but now that it had been slowed, they'd have more time to brainstorm on how to stop Pascal and Donavan."I didn't know Reynold had so many crimes tied to his neck," Oliver expressed. "Honestly, before the police came in, I'd expected the worst, though I knew the contingency plan was in place."Thompson smiled, shaking his head slowly as he listened to Oliver while Bill just stuck with silence. More often than not, he preferred to be a listener, a watcher, the one who faded into the background.Pressing his glasses closer to his nose with his index finger, Thompson began. "It wasn't an easy task to perform, but we pulled it off, fortunately. Reynold's source of wealth had always begged questioning, but no one had paid mind to it until
Donavan leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the polished mahogany table as a man made his way into the office.Donavan's head shot up in anticoagulation, a glint in his eyes as he stared. The driver, nervously shuffling his feet, relayed the details of the successful mission."Boss, I did what you asked," He stuttered, his eyes lingering on the floor. The guilt weighed on his shoulder, although this wasn't his first rodeo m "Thompson's car got hit real bad. He's gone."Donavan eyed the driver with a scrutinizing gaze, assessing the sincerity in his words. "Are you sure? Did you check?""Yeah, boss, I swear. I checked. He ain't breathing no more."A sly smile played on Donavan's lips as he contemplated the success of his scheme. It was relieving to know that Oliver was trapped once more. "Good. You'll get the rest of your payment soon. But remember, this stays between us. Loose lips sink ships, my friend. Also, did anyone see you? That intersection was a bli