Luke stared at the scene before him, blood whooshing loudly in his ears as his heart boiled with rage.He took one step into the room and the bastard, Steve, leapt away from Nina immediately, a look of fear crawling into his cowardly eyes.“I asked a question.” He growled. “What the hell is going on in here?”“Uh… sir… I mean boss — I mean, your lordship…” Steve stuttered as Luke advanced towards him. “This is a misunderstanding, I promise. I can explain.”Luke’s fingers curled into fists and his eyes darkened with annoyance. “Start explaining, then. Start fucking explaining.”“Luke, calm down.” Nina pleaded, her voice ringing with urgency. “Nothing happened. You need to calm down.”Luke ignored her. He was way too furious at the moment. He did not want to shout at Nina or say anything hurtful towards her. So he focused on eliminating his target. Steve Michaelson.Steve pressed himself against the nearest cabinet, sweating buckets as Luke came to a stop directly before him.“I thought
Nina folded her arms and stared at Luke, her pretty face radiating annoyance.“Come on in, Nina. I’d like to speak with you.”“If this is about what happened at the club, then I’m not the least bit interested in listening to what you have to say.”Her words cut through Luke like a knife and he shut his eyes for a moment, praying to the heavens for patience.When he looked at her once more, his face was a hard, stoic mask.“I must say that I’m extremely disappointed in you, Nina.”Her eyes narrowed in surprise.“Shouldn’t that be my line?”Luke ignored her snide remark and walked to his table, leaning against it.“You read a text which Fiona supposedly sent to you, a text which clearly stated that we were together… and you instantly lost every iota of trust you had in me? You didn’t wait to listen to what I had to say, you even refused to listen to grandpa. Instead, you packed your bags and turned your back on me at the time I needed you the most.”Nina ignored the seed of guilt which
Luke stared at the detective, completely frozen to his seat as shock waves coursed through his system.“What the hell are you talking about, Detective? My mother died when I was just a child. She got killed in an accident with my father.”McGregor nodded.“And what exactly did your grandfather say about their bodies? Were they recovered?”Luke hesitated.“Only my father’s body was found. They buried him at an exclusive cemetery not too far from here.”“And your mother?” The detective insisted. “What happened to her?”“Well, according to grandpa, her body was never found. The rescuers said she must’ve hurtled off the cliff during the accident. They searched for days and weeks but still couldn’t find her.” McGregor leaned in closer.“It might interest you to know that rescuers can always be wrong.” He retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and gently placed it on Luke’s table.“That’s the information I could deduce from the recording. At some point, my hackers got blocked off when
“Luke! Oh God, what happened?”Luke lifted his head to see Nina running in his direction. He didn’t know why, but relief flooded his system the moment he saw her beautiful face.He rose from the uncomfortable waiting room sofa and held out his arms to her, silently asking for a hug. Without hesitation, Nina lunged against his chest and he proceeded to bury his face in her hair, breathing in her comforting, familiar scent.“I’m so sorry.” She whispered. “What happened? Are you okay?”After making sure he wasn’t going to fall apart, Luke let go of Nina and she eased backwards, staring up at him.Was he okay? The truth was that he was still pretty much shaken. Although the doctors had managed to stabilise his grandad and ensure that he was out of danger, the image of the old man choking with a towel wrapped around his neck was going to live with him forever.“Yes, I’m fine.” He muttered gruffly. “I’m okay.”She took his hand and gently eased him into the chair.“What did the doctors sa
Nina was a nervous wreck as she hurriedly flipped through expensive dresses in her walk-in closet in search of a suitable outfit. Her date with Luke was by nine o’clock and it was twenty minutes past the hour of eight already. If she wasn’t able to make a choice soon, she’ll be late.Finally, she found the perfect dress and hurriedly put in on, then she set about curling her hair and perfecting her makeup.By ten minutes to the hour of nine, Nina was primed, polished and glowing… and she was very positive that she looked like a million dollars.A car came for her five minutes later just as Luke promised. The driver held the door open for her and soon, they were speeding down the highway.“Where are we going?” Nina asked him a few minutes into the ride.He flicked a glance in her direction through the rearview mirror. “My apologies, Ms., but I’m not allowed to tell you that.”Nina’s nervousness and excitement increased as she imagined all the cool, incredible places that Luke could s
For a moment, no one spoke. It seemed like the entire world stood still. Luke was pretty sure the only audible sound was that of his thumping heartbeat.“What did you just say?” It was Nina who spoke first, her voice dripping with shock. “Did you just say you’re pregnant… with Luke’s child?”Fiona smirked.“I don’t have the strength to repeat myself unnecessarily but yes, that is exactly what I said. If you don’t believe me…”Before she could end her sentence, Luke hovered over her in one stride and wrapped his fingers around her jaw… tight. His eyes were two glittering pools of rage. He was literally shaking with anger.“I don’t know what the fuck you think you’re doing or what you hope to gain by doing this, but if you do not withdraw that statement right this instant…”Fiona’s eyes clouded with discomfort at Luke’s harsh grip but she still managed to say;“I’m not lying and neither will I withdraw my statement. I’m pregnant, Luke. And the child is yours.”Luke stepped back, afraid
Luke’s brain was spinning as he watched his grandfather lower his head in shame. It took a great effort to hold himself together and face the old man.“What are you saying, grandpa? My mother’s not dead? When did you find out about this?”Lord George heaved a weighted sigh.“A month ago.”Luke could not help his gasp of shock.“So you knew she was alive even before you met me?”Lord George nodded.“She’s the one who found you. She found out you were staying with the Carmichaels… that you were being mistreated but them, and she contacted me. That was the first time I discovered that she never died.”Luke could not believe his ears. He gently lowered himself into the nearest chair he could find. His legs no longer seemed able to hold him up. “She found me.” He whispered. “Why isn’t she here? Why didn’t she come for me?”Lord George gave him a solemn look and Luke instantly knew he wasn’t going to like whatever he was about to say.“Your mother never wanted you, Luke. She never wanted c
NOTE TO READERS: This is a raw and unedited chapter so readers are bound to encounter some spelling and grammatical errors. Proper editing will be carried out and updated tomorrow. Thank you for reading!!***Lord George stared at his grandson with a horrified expression. “Luke, don’t tell me you mean to accept this baby just like that. We all know how devious the Carmichaels are. Fiona might be lying just so she can get close to you.”Luke’s voice dripped ice.“And why would she want to get close to me, huh? Why would she want to be with me?”Lord George looked taken aback by the question.“Because you’re the only heir to the Diamond Empire, of course. That devious gold digger is just after your money.”Luke’s eyes narrowed to slits.“And who says I’m still interested in being the heir?”Shocked silence reigned in the room for a moment.“Wh-what do you mean by that, son?” Lord George stuttered.Luke sank his fingers into his hair and pulled as he paced the room.“Ever since you fo
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