Anderson’s gaze remained fixed on the butler, his fork still poised in mid-air. The weight of the butler’s question hung between them like a dark cloud, thickening the air in the quiet room. A chill seemed to settle over the space, an invisible tension gnawing at the edges of both men’s composure.The butler took a hesitant step forward, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Who are you, truly?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, yet filled with an almost accusatory force. His question was no longer simply an inquiry—it was a demand, driven by an unsettling truth, he was on the cusp of uncovering.Anderson set the fork down deliberately, the silver clinking softly against the plate, and leaned back in his chair, a calculated calm washing over his expression. His every movement was measured, as though he was weighing each moment, each breath. "Who do you think I am?" he asked, his voice smooth, controlled—a predator testing the limits of its prey.The butler stiffened, the answ
Uncle Judas slammed his fist against the table, his face contorted in fury as he watched the news on the large screen. “This boy is doing the complete opposite!” he roared. “He’s dragging our name through the mud! What is he thinking?” His frustration was palpable as he seethed over the latest developments.Evelyn, his wife, entered the room, her face marked with concern. “Judas, you need to calm down,” she said softly. “You’re going to make yourself ill with all this anger.”Judas shot her a fierce look. “Calm down? Look at this!” He jabbed at the screen where Anderson Blackwell canceled a product launch he was supposed to oversee. “Instead of attending the board meeting, which was critical, he’s overruled the entire launch. It’s a disaster!”Evelyn approached him cautiously. “I understand you’re frustrated. But yelling at the screen won’t fix anything. What’s our next move?”Judas’s eyes were wild with rage. “This isn’t just a minor issue. It’s catastrophic! The board meeting was cr
The soft creak of the church doors echoed through the empty nave as Amelia stepped inside, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and guilt. The scent of incense hung in the air, mingling with the faint light filtering through the stained glass windows. She hadn’t been here in ten years, not since the day her sins had sealed her fate."Father," Amelia whispered, approaching the confessional booth with heavy steps. A priest, older now but with the same kind eyes, stood near the altar. He turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes widening in surprise as he recognized her.“Amelia... It’s been a long time,” Father Michael said, his voice filled with both warmth and sorrow. “Ten years, if I’m not mistaken.”She gave a curt nod, her gaze drifting toward the altar as if searching for absolution in the flickering candles. "Yes, ten years... too long."The priest's eyes softened. “Why now? What has brought you back after all these years?”Amelia swallowed, her throat tight. “A grave dream, Fa
Amelia sat in her grand but dimly lit living room, the weight of Father Michael’s words pressing heavily on her chest. The comfort of home did little to quell the storm brewing inside her. The air in the room was thick, as if even the walls shared in her despair. Her hands trembled slightly as she glanced at the untouched tray of food the maid had quietly placed beside her hours ago. She hadn’t eaten all day. The thought of food churned her stomach, amplifying the nausea rising from the pit of her guilt.The door creaked open, breaking the stillness. Victor stepped inside, his presence imposing but gentle. His eyes, sharp and searching, immediately found hers. “Mother?” he called softly, his voice heavy with concern, though he tried to mask it. “Why haven’t you eaten?”Amelia’s heart clenched at the sound of his voice, a son’s devotion wrapped in every syllable. She turned slowly, her gaze lingering on his face, the strong jawline that reminded her so much of his father. But her mind
The butler stood quietly in the dimly lit study, his eyes fixed on Anderson Blackwell, who was pacing with restless energy. The room was strewn with papers and open books, the result of a long night of brainstorming. Anderson’s brow was furrowed in deep thought, his usually calm demeanour disrupted by the gravity of their situation. Finally, Anderson stopped pacing and turned to the butler. “We need to get Lena out of the country, away from Victor’s reach. I’ve decided she should be transported to Germany until after she delivers. It’s the safest option for her and the child.” The butler raised an eyebrow, though his expression remained inscrutable. “Germany? That’s quite a distance. And what about the logistics? We’ll need to ensure her safety during transit and once she arrives.” Anderson nodded sharply. “I know. We’ll have to use every resource at our disposal. Arrange for a discreet flight and make sure she’s guarded until she’s safely settled there.” The butler hesitated f
Victor Montgomery leaned back in his leather seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest as the plane descended toward the runway. His eyes gleamed with cold satisfaction, his mind already a step ahead. Anderson thought he could outsmart me? The thought amused him. He had waited patiently for this moment, and thanks to Raul, his most trusted assistant, everything had fallen into place perfectly. Raul had delivered valuable information: one of the Blackwell guards had cracked, spilling every detail of Anderson’s so-called master plan. It was laughable, really. Anderson, with all his resources, had failed to account for the one thing Victor excelled at—predicting the unpredictable. While Anderson thought everything was under control, Victor’s men were already in Germany, waiting for Lena’s arrival. The jet touched down with a soft thud on the runway. Victor adjusted his suit jacket, smoothing out the creases as he stood. He cracked his neck, his movements deliberate, unhurri
The night was unusually quiet in the Montgomery estate. Amelia paced the room, her heart pounding as if it carried a secret she could no longer bear. She paused by the window, staring at the darkened horizon. The reflection in the glass revealed her own haggard face, worn down by the weight of years—years of lies, deceit, and manipulation. Amelia turned from the window and beckoned her maid, her voice colder than usual. "Where is my son?" The maid hesitated, knowing the answer might unsettle her. "Madam... Victor is in Germany." Amelia’s breath hitched. "Germany?" she repeated, her mind racing. What was he doing there? Why wasn’t she informed sooner? The maid nodded, clearly sensing the tension in her mistress. "Yes, Madam. He’s been overseeing matters personally." Amelia waved the maid away with a dismissive hand. "Fetch me some ink and paper. I need to write a few letters tonight." "Yes, Madam," the maid curtsied and swiftly left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, A
Amelia arrived at the hospital for what was supposed to be a routine check-up. As she sat on the examination table, her doctor frowned at the results on his clipboard.“Mrs. Montgomery, you haven’t taken your medication for the last month,” the doctor said, looking up with concern. “This is serious.”Amelia waved her hand dismissively, cutting him off. “I don’t need it. Don’t you see? I’m perfectly fine without all those pills.”The doctor sighed. “Amelia—”Enough!” She snapped, her voice ice-cold. “I’ve lived long enough to know what my body needs.” She slid off the examination table, grabbing her purse as she stormed toward the door.The doctor watched helplessly as Amelia left the room, her stubbornness an unmovable force. Outside, Amelia entered her car, her mind already far from the doctor's warnings. But as the door closed and the engine started, an unfamiliar voice greeted her from the front seat.“Who are you?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she saw a man in the backseat.
Victor sat at his desk, fingers gliding across his tablet, reviewing the latest reports. The silence in the room was interrupted when Raul barged into his office, breathing heavily.“We received a tip, boss,” Raul said, urgency in his voice. “It's anonymous.”Victor raised an eyebrow and set his tablet down. “What’s that?” he asked, his tone sharp, eyes narrowing.“Here, boss.” Raul passed over his laptop.Victor’s eyes widened in shock as he scanned the contents of the screen. An encrypted message flickered before him. “Interesting...” Victor muttered, leaning back in his chair, a dark smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “What's the best way to attack your enemies?”“You strike them first,” Raul chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes.Victor shook his head, his expression hardening. “Not at a time like this. Don’t you think it’s better if we wait for some air to be cleared? Let them get a little peace of mind,” he said, tapping his fingers on the desk rhythmically, “and that
Lena sat in the spacious cinema room, the quiet hum of the Montgomery estate enveloping her. She had just finished breakfast and had found herself increasingly drawn to the large TV in the room, offering her a brief distraction from her tangled thoughts. Flipping through channels, she paused at the morning news.Her heart dropped.The headline read: VICTOR MONTGOMERY GETS AGGRESSIVE AT A PARTY.A sharp breath escaped her as a video played, showing Victor in the middle of throwing a punch at Anderson. His face, contorted with rage, was frozen on the screen. The scene was chaotic. Lena turned off the TV, her hands shaking. She had to find Victor. Now.She hurried out of the cinema room, her steps quickening as she navigated the long corridors of the Montgomery mansion. The morning light streamed in through the large windows, but the usual warmth she felt here was replaced by a growing sense of unease.As Lena passed by a couple of maids dusting the antique furniture, they stopped and g
A week before the party, Anderson strolled into the butler’s room with the usual nonchalance he carried. But something stopped him cold—the object resting innocuously on the polished mahogany desk. His breath hitched as his gaze locked onto the small, intricate piece of jewelry: Amelia’s locket. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. “Why is this here?”His mind raced, scrambling to connect the dots. This was with Amelia for years... even at death. He could almost hear the faint echoes of her last words “ Jacob“ with her bloodstained locket, hanging around her neck.Anderson’s furrowed his brow. Why was it here with the butler? Was there something he was missing? Was this why the butler was present that day? Who was he to them—an old friend, perhaps?Anderson’s pulse quickened as he slowly approached the desk. His fingers hovered over the locket, but instead of picking it up, he pulled out his phone.” I can’t risk touching it. Not yet.” He snapped a few quick photos, the came
Raul walked into the car park at the Montgomerys, the dim lighting casting long shadows over the ornate flowers. He had been waiting for Victor outside, but as soon as he turned his head, he saw that Victor had zoomed off—alone. Without him. Without his bodyguards.“Boss is probably very hyper today,” Raul muttered, smirking as he started the engine of his own car. He drove slowly, enjoying the quiet hum of the engine as the streets passed by, each one more crowded than the last.When Raul arrived at the location, he stepped down, the crunch of gravel beneath his feet the only sound in the stillness. As he entered the gallery, he noticed something strange. There, in the middle of the room, was a bizarre painting—a man with a head six times larger than his body. The massive head seemed to weigh him down, as though it was his burden.Raul paused in front of the painting, staring at it with intrigue."Interesting, isn’t it?" A female voice called out from behind him, light yet confident.
Mariam headed to the grocery store, pulling the sleeves of her oversized hoodie down to hide her hands. Her hair was tied back into a messy bun, and she wore no makeup, her face bare and tired. Her worn-out sneakers made soft squeaks as she walked down the aisles, scanning the shelves distractedly.“So, what's left on the list?” she muttered to herself, pulling out her phone to check the shopping app.“Is this it?” A familiar voice startled her from behind. She turned to see Raul holding up a can of beef stew, a grin playing on his lips.“You—what are you doing here?” Mariam asked, her voice tinged with shock, her face paling slightly under the bright supermarket lights.“I should be asking you the same thing,” Raul said with a teasing smile, gesturing around with his free hand. “You look... different.”“I’m shopping. You can see I’m S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G,” she stammered, her words laced with a forced casualness. Her fingers tugged at the edge of her hoodie nervously, wishing she’d at least
"I'm afraid I can not eat this meal," Victor hissed, eyeing the dishes with distrust."Why?" Anderson asked, feigning innocence. "Did you think I poisoned it?""Have a bite from everything on the table," Victor continued, his tone firm and commanding.Anderson arched an eyebrow. "My head chef can handle that. You do your job," he replied coolly."No, you should have a bite first," Victor insisted, his eyes narrowing with barely concealed hostility.Anderson tightened his grip on his knife, the tension palpable. "If that will make our guest comfortable," he said with a forced smile. He sampled a bite from each dish on the table, his movements deliberate and calculated."Is our guest comfortable now?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.Victor ignored the question, starting to eat with an air of indifference. The room fell into an uneasy silence, punctuated only by the clinking of cutlery against china and the soft hum of the air conditioner."
“So that concludes today’s meeting,” Anderson announced, his voice steady as he called the gathering to a close. The low hum of murmurs filled the room as the board members shuffled their papers, ready to leave.Before anyone could stand, a voice from the back spoke up. “One more thing,” the head of marketing said, leaning forward with a raised brow. “We need to finalize the decision on the website.”The room grew quiet. Anderson, standing at the head of the table, paused for a moment. “The website, yes.”“We’ve been discussing the benefits of a more interactive platform to engage with the public, especially after the recent press coverage,” another board member chimed in. “It could help boost our reputation even further.”Evelyn, who had been sitting in for Uncle Judas, leaned back in her chair with a smug expression. “A website? Do you mean to stroke Anderson’s already inflated ego?”The room chuckled lightly, though there was a hint of tension beneath the surface.“It’s not just ab
“Today’s the last day of your check-up, yeah?” Victor asked Raul, pacing back and forth, his eyes flicking toward Raul’s arm.Raul, casual as ever, swung the arm Victor had once shot in a wide arc, flexing his muscles slightly. “Yep, it’s perfectly fine now.” He gave a confident grin. “See? All good.”Victor, unconvinced, scowled. “You know it wasn’t just a flesh wound, right?”Raul chuckled, grabbing his jacket. “Come on, Boss, I’m not made of glass. I’ll be back in a bit. Maybe you’ll buy me a drink to celebrate?”Victor grunted, his eyes tracking Raul as he headed for the door. The soft click of it closing left an uneasy silence in the room.At the hospital, the sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air. Raul tapped his foot impatiently, his leg bouncing as the low hum of medical equipment buzzed around him. Nurses murmured in the distance, their voices blending with the soft beeping of machines. The waiting room was eerily quiet, but Raul’s mind raced.He glanced toward the corri
“Fifty per cent well-done, other fifty... booo!” Anderson’s spirit hissed, his form flickering between shadow and solid in front of Jacob’s face.Jacob recoiled, his fists clenched as he backed away, eyes wide with confusion. “Why are you still here?” he asked, his voice edged with frustration.Anderson’s spirit drifted closer, its presence suffocating, the air thick with menace. “Arrogant, aren’t you?” The words dripped with cold malice. “Is she dead?”Jacob tried to steady himself, his breath quickening. “You can’t just turn me into some... perfect killer.”Anderson’s spirit towered over him now, the temperature around Jacob dropping with every word. His voice became a chilling, unnatural whisper. “Kill her or be killed. DIE! KILL EVEL... OR YOU. SHOULD. DIE!” His voice cracked, growing more inhuman, the echoes rattling inside Jacob’s mind like the chains of a nightmare he couldn’t escape.Jacob clutched his head, his thoughts spiralling out of control. “Arrrggh!” he screamed, his v