The Montgomery estate was bathed in a soft morning light, but nothing could thaw the coldness in Amelia Montgomery’s eyes. She sat in her opulent sitting room, her perfect posture a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside her. The clock ticked steadily, a rhythm that only amplified the chaos of recent events.The phone on the side table rang, slicing through the quiet. With practiced elegance, Amelia lifted the receiver, her voice cool and controlled.“Yes?”“Mother, it’s done,” Victor’s voice was smooth, almost too smooth. “Jacob was found dead this morning. The news is already spreading like wildfire.”Amelia’s lips twisted into a small, satisfied smile. “Finally. I was beginning to wonder if you’d lost your edge. Any complications?”“None,” Victor replied, a hint of smugness in his tone. “Jacob’s out of the picture for good. It was almost too easy.”“Of course, it was,” Amelia sneered. “Jacob was always pathetic. Too weak to survive in this world, let alone in our family. His
The cafe was buzzing with the morning rush, but Lena felt detached from the lively atmosphere. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts as she nervously stirred her coffee, glancing at the entrance every few seconds. She had been dreading this meeting, but she knew it was inevitable. Mark had been insistent that they speak in person, and his tone on the phone had left no room for argument.When the door finally opened and Mark stepped in, Lena's heart skipped a beat. He was exactly as she remembered—tall, with an air of quiet confidence that made him stand out even in a crowd. But today, his usual warmth was absent. His eyes were cold and red as they scanned the room, landing on Lena with an almost clinical detachment. He walked over to her table without a hint of a smile.“Mark, thank you for meeting me,” Lena began, trying to keep her voice steady. She gestured to the chair opposite her, but Mark didn’t sit. Instead, he crossed his arms, his expression hardening.“I’m only h
Jacob’s eyes fluttered open, disoriented by the cold, sterile environment. The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting a harsh glow on the room. He tried to move, but his body felt foreign, heavy. As he looked around, panic set in—he was in a morgue.“What… what’s happening?” Jacob whispered, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar.He glanced down at his hands. They were different—smoother, a different shade. His pulse quickened as he noticed another body on the adjacent slab, covered by a white sheet. Dread clawed at his insides as he reached out and pulled the sheet back, revealing a face he knew all too well—his own.“This can’t be real,” Jacob muttered, stumbling backwards until he collided with the wall. His mind raced, struggling to process the impossible.A noise outside the door jolted him from his thoughts. He needed to get out, away from this nightmare. He grabbed a set of clothes from a nearby desk, dressing quickly. With one last haunted glance at his former body, he slipped
Victor's eyes narrowed as he scanned the cemetery, his irritation simmering just below the surface. The funeral had drawn a larger crowd than he’d expected—too many unfamiliar faces. It was almost offensive. Jacob was never the type to have this many people care about him, was he? The idea feeding his frustration.His gaze roamed over the gathered mourners, landing on a man standing apart from the rest. Tall, with dark hair and an unsettlingly calm demeanour, the man seemed oddly detached from the proceedings. He wasn’t grieving. He was watching—watching too closely.Victor’s eyes lingered on him, a sliver of recognition tugging at the edges of his memory, but it slipped away as quickly as it came. Who the hell was he?The stranger noticed Victor's gaze and looked away, a slight smirk playing on his lips as if he were amused by Victor’s scrutiny. The audacity irked Victor, but as he confronted the man, Amelia's cold hand slipped into his arm, guiding him away. He shot one last glance
The car ride to the Blackwell estate was silent. The only sound was the steady rhythm of rain pelting against the windows. Anderson—formerly Jacob—sat rigid in the back seat, his mind swirling with questions and doubts. Every turn of the wheels seemed to pull him further from the life he had known and deeper into a world that was both foreign and familiar.His gaze drifted to the butler, who sat in the front, his back straight and composed. “Tell me something,” Anderson finally broke the silence, his voice laced with unease. “Why did my father—why did he never try to find me?”The butler didn’t turn around but responded with a calm, measured tone. “Your father’s decisions were always made with the family’s best interests in mind. When you were lost to us, he believed it was best to protect the family from the scandal. But he never stopped searching for you, Master Anderson. Not for a single day.”Anderson scoffed, his fingers tightening around the seatbelt. “So, he just let me live a
Mark paced back and forth in his small, dimly lit apartment, the phone pressed tightly against his ear. His heart pounded with anticipation and anxiety as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. The voice was distorted, disguised to keep its identity hidden, but Mark didn’t care. He had made his decision—there was no turning back now.“You’ve done well, Mark,” the voice said, calm and authoritative. “The police are acting on the information you provided. Victor will have a hard time explaining this one away.”Mark clenched his jaw, his hand trembling slightly as he gripped the phone. “This is only the beginning. I want to see Victor Montgomery pay for what he did to Jacob. He took everything from me.”“And you will have your revenge,” the voice assured him. “But remember, Mark, this isn’t just about Victor. There are bigger forces at play, and if you play your cards right, you could come out of this with more than just revenge.”“What do you mean?” Mark asked, his voice
Victor Montgomery sat in his office, the dim light casting long shadows on the walls. His fingers traced the edges of the photograph on his desk—a picture of Anderson Blackwell at Jacob’s burial. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, his mind racing with questions that refused to settle."Why was Anderson Blackwell at Jacob’s burial?" he muttered, his voice low but edged with tension. The unease he felt had been gnawing at him ever since Jacob’s death, but this—this was something else. A piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit.Outside the office, a figure stood silently, ear pressed to the heavy wooden door. Every word Victor uttered sent a fresh wave of anxiety crashing over them. The tension in his voice was unmistakable, and it sent chills down their spine. Victor was close to figuring it all out, and if he did, there would be no escape for anyone involved.Inside, Victor’s voice cut through the silence again, sharper this time. "And Mark… Why haven’t I heard from him? Could he be the one w
Anderson Blackwell stood frozen in the dimly lit kitchen, the note in his hand and the phone pressed to his ear, but something didn’t sit right with him. The number he had just dialed remained uncalled, his finger hovering over the screen. His gut churned, a deep sense of foreboding washing over him."Why would they leave such an obvious trail?" he muttered to himself, the unease growing within him. The whole setup reeked of a trap, something designed to lure him into a situation from which he might not emerge alive. His intuition had saved him before, and he wasn’t about to ignore it now.He slowly lowered the phone, his mind racing. The stakes were too high to rush in blindly. If this was a trap, he couldn’t afford to fall into it—not with so much on the line. Mark’s life was important, but so was his own. He needed to approach this carefully, think several steps ahead of whoever was orchestrating this.Slipping the note into his pocket, Anderson made up his mind. He would bide his
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