"Jia. I might have fucked things up with your Dad.”The words flew out of Arnold's mouth nearly too quickly and ineloquently to be deemed a legitimate speech or statement, let alone anything that sounded remotely like it could even begin to explain how he felt at the time. The words, like sour fruit, left a harsh taste on his tongue, and while he admitted that he might have messed things up with his mentor—Jia's Dad—it took all of Arnold's self-control not to strike the wall adjacent to him. Instead, he remained silent, saying nothing further as he awaited Jia's response.As he waited, his mind raced through the events of the previous few hours. It was already afternoon, a few hours after he'd stormed out of Mr. Xiu's office in a rage. Driving about town with no goal in mind, Arnold kept thinking and thinking, attempting to clear his mind, until he finally decided to come to Jia's hospital. He’d wanted to see someone. He needed to vent about what had happened and how he was feeli
Jia had been looking forward to this meeting. After her conversation with Arnold at the hospital some days back, they’d reached out to Mr. Kein, and fortunately, he’d granted them an audience. Now here they were. This meeting was the first step in the grand reconciliation plan Jia and Arnold had baked and curated for the two older gentlemen. Speaking of Mr. Kein, this would be her first meeting with him. She'd heard much about him from her father and the news, as he was well-known in the business world. He was her father's one genuine archenemy, someone she was supposed to despise with every fiber of her existence. But she just couldn't. Whatever hostility the man had with her father was best kept between them, and she didn't want to get involved in their rivalry. Even if this man had contributed to the deaths of her mother and brother—people she'd grown up not knowing—Jia understood it wasn't all Mr. Kein's fault. Or was it? She didn't know what to think or believe, and shakin
Arnold and Jia arrived at Mr. Xiu's house in under thirty minutes.Arnold pondered the enormity of what lay ahead as he drove his car down the paved road, the passing countryside a blur. The road stretched out before them, a trail leading to the mansion that, as it stood, contained the key to half of his troubles.Arnold's hands gripped the steering wheel, unable to ignore the butterflies in his gut. The excitement was mixed with apprehension as if entering the home would open the door to a world he wasn't quite prepared to face. But he couldn't back out now. Mr. Kein's cry for closure struck a deep chord within him, propelling him ahead, and the fact that the guy was unwell made Arnold reconsider many things. Arnold had been taken aback by Mr. Kein's admission that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.Wasn't he the same agile and muscular man he'd met a few days before this second visit? The same man he'd bantered and conversed with, and not for a single second had Mr. K
Arnold, Mr. Xiu, and Gia walked into Mr. Kein's luxurious residence, their footsteps booming along the grand corridor. The atmosphere was strained, perhaps from expectation and residual hatred. When they arrived in Mr. Kein's study, they discovered the older gentleman sitting in a comfortable armchair, his face lined with age as he peered ahead."All right, here we go..." Arnold grumbled as he gazed at Mr. Kein and then back to Mr. Xiu, who was wearing an odd expression.The sudden stillness enveloping them was disturbing until Jia spoke up. "I suppose we should all take a seat." She began by directing her father to sit on one of the couches in the room, but he didn't move an inch.Instead, Mr. Xiu cleared his throat and eventually stated, his voice laced with doubt. "Kein, we meet again."The silence that followed this very polite greeting was unsettling. Then Mr. Kein looked up, and as his eyes met Mr. Xiu's, the older man smiled.There was a glimmer of delight on his face as he w
Jia sat at her desk, her gaze fixed on the time displayed on her computer screen. It was already beyond work hours, and she was eager to get out of the hospital. But not until she spoke with the one person on her mind all day, and she picked up her phone with a smile.Swiping at the screen and scrolling through her contact list, her hand stopped at Arnold's name, and she dialed his number, praying he would pick up. And he did pick up since he finally answered after a few rings."Hello, Jia. How are you?" His seductive bass voice came through on the other end, quickly sending shivers down Jia's thighs.“Hey. I'm excellent. You?” Jia inquired."I'm fine as well. Are you at home right now, or?" He paused, expecting her to finish the phrase, which she did. “Nope. I just finished with my last patient and will be leaving soon. What about you?"“Same. Although I did not operate anyone." Jia laughed as he half-joked. He continued. "Unfortunately, I'm still here, finishing up some work. I st
Arnold's head ached. His entire body throbbed with pain, and he slowly opened his eyes, dazed and struggling to focus. The first thing he saw was a brilliant white light glaring directly at him, and he quickly shut back his eyes.Trying again, this time adjusting his face, Arnold opened his eyes, and a flash of pain ran through him, making him cuss internally.When he opened his eyes, the white light flashing on him before had stopped, and he could finally adjust and make sense of his surroundings. Slowly looking around, he tried to raise his hands, but he saw they were tightly bound to a rope."Oh fuck!" Arnold exclaimed, and as his head throbbed violently, he struggled to comprehend his circumstances and come to terms with his memories.He couldn't recall anything and had no idea how he'd ended up here in the first place. No! He remembered, but only in fragments.He'd been in his office, talking on the phone with Jia, and after they'd finished, he'd rearranged his desk, grabbed
Arnold's heartbeat as he stared in disbelief at the photograph. Mr. Black, a fearsome businessman with a reputation that sent shivers down even the bravest spines, had asked him to murder Mr. Kein. Arnold had just reconciled Mr. Xiu with the same Mr. Kein—the same man who had only a few days before kissing the earth's face goodbye due to his said terminal illness. And now Arnold was on a quest to assassinate him to pay off the debt he owed.The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him, and he thought he would pass out. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and his breathing became laborious. "Oh, God!" He murmured under his breath. Seconds passed, then minutes, maybe even hours, but Arnold remained silent. However, Mr. Black's commanding voice eventually broke the icy silence in the room. "Did you just hear what I said, Mr Stone?" He growled loudly, a threatening expression on his face, enraged by Arnold's lack of response. “I… I… Mr. Black, I honestly don't know what t
The days sped by after Arnold's experience with Mr. Black and the problematic assignment Nexus had assigned him, and he thoroughly submerged himself in work. He continued to run his gang's operations, maintaining control of the gold mine and manipulating the gold market on his own, trading equities and profiting handsomely. He'd even gone on his date with Jia, and things were moving smoothly for him. He tried not to worry or overthink that he had a dangerous duty ahead of him and that Mr. Black had not told him the particular date when he would carry out the mission.Instead, he focused all of his efforts on his work and tried his hardest to forget about the forthcoming chore. He was lying to himself if he said he wasn't afraid, yet Nexus had permitted him to pull the daring stunt.Arnold was perplexed, but there was nothing he could do about it then, so he accepted his fate. Today, however, was a typical evening in Arnold's office, and he found himself in the company of Mr. Xiu,