Nina was nearly choking with anxiety as she and Hailey searched for Luke all around the club. They even went as far as searching outside and looking through every single car in the parking garage but one hour later, they still couldn’t find him.All their efforts were futile.“What are we supposed to do now?” Nina asked frantically, Luke’s phone snug in her grip.Hailey paused and thought for a moment.“Does the phone have any damages?” She asked, “like a cracked screen or…”Nina flicked a glance at the phone and her eyes widened in horror;“The screen is actually cracked.” Hailey chewed on her bottom lip.“I don’t wanna scare you or anything but from the cracked screen, there’s a high probability that he was kidnapped and had tried to fight off his assailants in the process.” Hailey’s words hit Nina like a blow to the guts. She staggered backwards, her heart beating a mile per second.“No….” She whispered. “It can’t be. It can’t.”Hailey wrapped her arms around Nina’s shoulder in a
“Nina? Are you okay?” Lord George asked when he noticed she’d gone completely still. Nina did not react. Apparently, she was deep in thought. It took another two tries to snap her back to the present world.“Nina!”She blinked rapidly as her gaze gradually refocused on Lord George.“Are you okay, sweetheart?” He asked again and she blinked, nodding in response.“Yes. Yes, I’m good.” Her gaze narrowed on the waitress as she inquired;“ Excuse me, what did you say the lady looked like again?”Everyone watched, completely curious at the question. The waitress gulped nervously at all the attention as she replied;“She was dark haired and had a tiny slash on her eyebrow.”Nina narrowed her gaze;“If the slash on her brow was tiny, how did you see it?”“Well, I passed between them to use the bathroom, you see. The lady was very stylishly dressed so I wanted to get a look at her clothes up close… which is how I noticed the scar. Her outfit looked pretty expensive as well.”Nina nodded, her
Nina’s phone beeped with an incoming text but she ignored it. It was probably Hailey texting to see if she was okay. She’d text her later.The phone beeped two more times and she pointedly switched it off. She needed space to think and therefore did not need any sort of interference.She did not know how long she stood there until she heard a sound behind her and turned to find John standing just within the French doors.“Miss Washington? His Lordship requires your presence at once.”Alarmed at the urgency in his tone, Nina followed after him immediately.“Are there any problems, Grandpa?” She asked as she hurried into the room. “No, my dear. Not really. But take a seat. The news of Luke’s disappearance is about to be aired on national TV.”Trembling slightly, Nina took her seat as the television was switched on;“…now in other news, trillionaire businessman and recently established CEO of The Diamond Empire, a world leading automobile company has gone missing. His name is Luke George
Nina’s fingers literally shook as she scrolled through her phone until she located the video in question. The video came with a note which clearly stated;“Dear, Nina.I hope this text finds you well. While you and Luke were busy planning to go to Japan for business purposes, Luke had asked me to join him for a little romantic getaway after his business meetings were over. He wanted someone to cool off and relax with… and that person clearly isn’t you.Why am I writing this? I need you to back off, Nina. Stay away from Luke. He’s mine. He might likely not tell you to your face because you’re so clingy and he doesn’t wanna hurt your feelings, but Luke is honestly tired of you and your shenanigans.You follow him everywhere he goes like you’re some helpless, lost puppy. Honestly, you need to cut the man some slack. Sometimes, he needs space so he can hang out with the one person he really, actually loves…which is me. I hope you’re able to learn a lesson or two from this letter and from
The entire room stared in shock as the lawyer made his announcement. After one full minute of stunned silence, a petite lady whom Lord George recognized as the news lady who’d broadcasted he news of Luke’s alleged love cruise, shot to her feet, her lips twisted in disdain.“Because you have a mountain of power does not give you the right to do just anything you want, Lord George. Don’t you ever think of how your decisions might affect those around you?”Lord George regarded her calmly.“What’s your name?”“Mrs. Sakura Wrench.” He nodded;“Mrs. Sakura Wrench. You’re the lady who anchored today’s news, aren’t you?”“Yes, I am.” She said boldly.Lord Goege nodded once more, a sadistic smile curving his lips.“So you’re trying to tell me that your company received a tip off about some incriminating news concerning my grandson and you went ahead to broadcast that news to the entire world without thinking of the negative ways it might impact his reputation, but you think you have the right
“Are you kidding me right now?” Lord George asked. “Are you sure Fiona has dopamine in her system?”The doctor’s brows furrowed in confusion.“Yes, I’m sure, your lordship. The test results are not out in print yet but once that is available, you’ll see for yourself.”Lord George gave the doctor an apologetic look.“I did not mean to doubt your expertise.”“Of course not, your lordship. Please excuse me. I’ll inform you once the test results are ready.”The doctor went on his way and Lord George turned to the detectives.“Did you hear that? If Fiona was also injected with dopamine, this only means that there was a third party involved in the kidnapping.”McGregor stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I think so, too. Maybe Fiona was also a victim.”“I don’t think you both should rule out the fact that Fiona may have injected herself with the drug after she was done carrying out all her schemes.” Seeing Lord George and McGregor’s shocked expressions, Kenji hurriedly continued.“From every
They arrived at the station in record time thanks to John’s expert, speedy driving. The moment they arrived, Detective Kenji was already waiting in the driveway.“Welcome, your lordship. The Chief has been looking forward to your arrival.”Lord George nodded.“Thank you, Kenji. Where will the interrogation take place?”Kenji turned and walked into the station“This way, sir. Please follow me.”Lord George obliged and John followed closely as they passed through a maze of hallways, corridors and offices until they arrived at a door with the title; Chief Of Police, engraved on a golden plate and pasted on its surface.Detective Kenji knocked twice and a deep voice replied; “come on in.”The detective stepped aside, allowing Lord George and his bodyguard to walk in first. Major Takehiko looked up from the sheaf of papers on his desk and on sighting his guests, rose to his feet. “Lord George.” He greeted, stretching his hand for a handshake. “Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you.”Lord Ge
Everyone drew closer as Fiona began describing the Uber driver.“Now that I think about it, he didn’t look much like an Uber driver. He had a huge tattoo which spanned the entirety of his left arm, and he looked really menacing.”Detective Kenji scribbled furiously on his notepad. “We’ll need the services of a sketch artist, your lordship. I’ll arrange for one to be sent here right after she’s done with her statement.”“Of course.” Lord George agreed. “But let’s listen to her first.”“Five minutes into the ride, I began to get a really weird feeling about him. I mean, he kept staring at me through the mirror and he made at least three strange phone calls all saying the exact same thing.”“Which was?” The detective asked.Fiona screwed up her face like she was trying to remember something.“I recall he kept talking about an airfield and warehouse.”“At what point did you realise you were his captive?” Kenji inquired.“Well, I never realised that. He did drive me to the airport but tha
One year later“…to end this broadcast, here’s a recap of the major stories.Former Mrs. Fiona George, ex wife to one of London’s most successful trillionaire businessman, Luke George, along with her mother, Mrs. Carmichael and ex-boyfriend, David Humsworth have all been sentenced to different years in prison. After a long year of legal battles, the court finally announced their sentence today, bringing months of crime and criminal conspiracy to an end…”A sense of satisfaction settled over Luke’s heart as he watched clips of Fiona, her mother and David being led into a police van, already handcuffed. Fiona was screaming and crying while David and Mrs. Carmichael lowered their heads to avoid being captured by the cameras.Beside Luke, Nina, his five months pregnant wife, snuggled deeper against his side, placing her small hands atop his chest.“It’s finally over.” She whispered, her gentle voice already soothing his soul. “It’s really over. Are you happy now?”Luke twisted to the si
For five long seconds, a thick blanket of silence reigned in the room. Lord George stared at Nina in shock, obviously unable to believe his ears. Lucas’ expression was filled with awe while Fiona and her mother looked like they’d just been forced to swallow a bowl full of fart.“Luke, she’s lying. This bitch is lying to you. I didn’t bribe the doctor. How could I do that when I didn’t even know the hospital until you took me there? How can I betray you like that?” She sniffed and hiccuped, looking every bit the victim.Mrs. Carmichael was enraged.“All you’ve done for the past few minutes is go around yapping that little mouth of yours and spewing lies.” She spat at Nina. “Where’s your evidence, huh? You’re claiming that my daughter bribed the doctor. Where’s your goddamn evidence, you shameless homewrecker?!”“If you’re looking for evidence, don’t ask her. Ask me.”Everyone turned towards the door, searching for the owner of the new voice.Mrs Carmichael’s face dampened with fear an
Luke’s heart thundered like a runaway train as Fiona came closer and closer, thrusting the baby towards him.When she was just a hair’s breadth away, Nina intercepted her, blocking her from reaching him.Fiona’s scowl deepened, her eyes already burning with rage.“What the heck do you think you’re doing, Nina? Get out of my way.” She snapped angrily.“And what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Nina countered, folding her arms.Fiona raised her chin.“I was just about to introduce Luke to his son and heir before you rudely interrupted. As you know, my Cameron is a bonafide member of this family. You’re not. Therefore you have no right to be here. Why don’t you just give up on your plans to destroy my marriage, Nina? Can’t you see that you’re already failing?”Nina smirked.“Since we’re all here and you seem to have so much to say today, Fiona, why don’t we play a little game?”Luke stared at the back of Nina’s head with confusion. What was she doing?“In addition to being blind, ar
SIX MONTHS LATERPain. He was in so much pain.His arms, legs and back throbbed and burned. His head felt like a wailing banshee had taken up residence. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids seemed to be glued shut.“His vitals seem okay but he’s no longer responding to treatment. I’m afraid his coma might become worse. His injuries are nothing like we’ve ever seen before.”He heard noises above him and tried to alert whoever it was to the fact that he was actually awake. He tried to blink or even move his finger, but his body refused to listen to his brain as usual.“I’m sorry but you and your family will have to consider taking him off life support. I don’t mean to be pessimistic but it doesn’t look like he’ll get any better than this.”His heart tightened with panic as he listened to the doctor go on and on about how he’ll never recover. Someone was crying in the room. He could hear the whimpers. Her whimpers.He struggled to stay awake for a moment longer but his brain was spi
THREE MONTHS LATERThe day was dark and gloomy. Rydling soldiers and Elders gathered around the glass casket, their faces pinched in tight frowns.“We’re gathered today to celebrate the one person who sacrificed his life to save all of us. We’re here to witness the end of the reign of our chosen one.” Elder Tomako said quietly.“We watched him fight a good fight. Now, it’s time to bid him farewell. We tried our possible best to bring him back, but I believe this is really the end of the road for our hero. Lower the casket.”The casket was lowered by four heavily built soldiers into the already dug earth. The moment it touched the ground, the death bells started ringing.The forlorn sounds of the bell were followed by flashes of lightning and the deep, rumbling sounds of thunder. That was the king of the Rydlings himself, saying goodbye to his chosen one. The Chosen One had fought a good fight. Now, it was time for him to rest eternally.
THE END OF HIS REIGN***Have you ever gotten the feeling that you’re about to die and no one can save you even if they tried?Have you ever looked death straight in the eyes?That was all that went through Luke’s mind as he stared at the red eyes of the demon-beast before him. His knees and heart quaked with fear and blood whooshed loudly in his ears.Luke knew he was powerless without his amulet. Even if he’d trained for physical combat, those skills wouldn’t be of any significant help against Malcolm.Malcolm took a step forward and Luke gulped in deeply.“I heard Rydling had chosen a weakling to save his people.” He growled, his voice dripping with disgust. “I thought my people were bluffing. But looking at you, I guess they weren’t.Which makes me wonder why my own brother would, out of the millions of experienced and well-trained soldiers at his disposal, choose a good-for-nothing scaredy-cat to lead a war against me.” Malcolm burst into loud, booming laughter. “I mean, what w
A month later…Something was coming. Luke could feel it.For the past month, his anxiety rate had tripled. During the day, he felt followed, stalked. At night, he felt watched.. He could barely sleep these days. His amulet glowed all night and he was pretty certain he’d heard whispers in the dark two nights ago. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. His guts burned with suspicion. There was something wrong somewhere.Something was coming. Something dark…and very, very ugly.****“Focus, Luke. Focus! Channel your amulet’s power. If you’re distracted, the enemy will definitely find an opening to strike.”Luke took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging nerves. Today’s training was on mobility. His ability to dodge the strikes of evil spells or possibly, gun shots from the enemy.“There’s an unwritten rule that guns are banned from all supernatural wars but Malcolm’s followers are evil. We should not underestimate their inclination to cheat.” Elder Tomako had said ea
FOUR MONTHS LATER“It's all about concentration, Luke.” Elder Tomako said for the umpteenth time. “Close your eyes and focus on the power within your amulet. Channel it. If you can do that, the amulet would do anything you want. Close your eyes and feel the magic. Command it.”Luke shot his eyes and focused. Gradually, he felt the familiar energy begin to build. His amulet glowed and throbbed against his chest, sending spurts after spurts of power through his entire frame.He chanted the power codes he was taught throughout his first month of training and the tips of his finger began to burn. “Ancient spirits please arise. Lend your power and your might. Victory over my enemies, I pray thee. Ancient spirits please arise!”Finally, the energy within him became so powerful, shards of dangerous light shot through his fingers and sliced all the targets in front of him, reducing them to puffs of dust.The room erupted into a flurry of explosions and the stench of smoke filled the air.Whe
“How did you kill him?” Luke asked as they both settled down on the Italian sofa.Lucas’ expression became guarded.“Well, turns out, grandpa isn't the only person Edoardo was indebted to. The bastard was involved with a lot of shady people. He gambled a lot and lost loads of cash in the process.Unfortunately, he borrowed money from an organisation that doesn’t believe debtors should walk around scot free.”A slight chill crawled up Luke’s spine at Lucas’ dark expression.“What organisation was that?”Lucas took a few seconds too long to reply and Luke instantly knew that Edoardo had fallen into deep, deep shit before his death.“Edoardo borrowed money from the Russian crime syndicate. The Bratva.”Luke froze as shock shot through his entire system. “D-did you just say…?”Lucas nodded.“Yes. Unfortunately for him, he borrowed half a million dollars from them and couldn’t pay back after a period of six months like he’d promised.”Luke's heart thumped wildly as he asked;“How did they