The shrill ring of Arnold's phone jarred him from the useless stare-down he was currently having with his laptop, and he grudgingly took the device from the desk, tearing his sight away from the computer's screen.The device vibrated in his palm again, and this time he looked at the phone's screen to find that it was the phone's alarm reminding him of his upcoming dinner date with Jia."Oh, my shit!" He cursed as he jumped out of his chair.He cursed again as he looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was 6 pm – he was supposed to be on his way by now, darn it! Arnold had told her last night that he'd pick her up at 6:30 p.m. after he finished work, yet he was failing miserably at keeping time. He still had thirty minutes till he was due to meet her. So, if he rushed, he could get to her place on time and without delay.Certainly without delay, because he couldn't afford to miss this. No way, no how.As Arnold gathered his belongings, a faint smile crept at the corner of his lips as
As the evening continued, Arnold found himself engaged in Jia's attractive company. The clinking of cutlery and the occasional bursts of laughter from surrounding tables produced a lovely environment around them as they sat in a cozy corner of the restaurant, bathed in gentle candlelight and engaged in vibrant conversation.Arnold couldn't help but notice Jia's date outfit—a flowing gown that complemented her grace and beauty—as they relaxed and had a good time. Her beauty was unrivaled by anyone Arnold had ever met, but his attraction to her remained unabated. He was captivated by the woman. Her beauty was a rare treasure in one person, and he wanted to know all about it. He wanted to investigate every element of this extraordinary being. And he was also intrigued by how she looked so beautiful without even trying."Your hands are so lovely..." Her comments jolted him back into the present, and the compliment surprised him. As if on cue, her hands materialized in front of his ey
SOME YEARS EARLIERMr. Kein and Xiu, and Jia’s mother, Selise, grew up together in the same neighborhood.They were best of friends who went to the same high school. Mr. Kein, at the time, was known as Micah, a name given to him by his grandparents.Given Mr. Xiu and Selise's constantly busy parents, the three friends lived practically next door to each other, and Micah's grandparents were always the ones to host all three of them.Mr. Xiu's parents would leave him alone in the enormous home with Micah's grandma, who was his nanny, whenever they went on vacation, even though he was only a tiny toddler. Selise's mother, on the other hand, would drop her off at Micah's place. That's how Micah and Selise became great friends... before little Mr. Xiu himself got acquainted with them.Mr. Xiu was known as Little Xiu in the neighborhood because of his modest stature among his contemporaries. And he lived in a different world from Micah and Selise, whose parents were middle-class.However,
“Money? How much are they asking?" Little Xiu inquired, already worried."Three thousand dollars, they say! They want three thousand dollars!""No way! No way am I going to donate so much money to a guy who has lost himself and doesn't even cherish his buddies.""Please, Xiu, please!" Selise begged, tears running down her cheeks, and that's when Xiu snapped.He had a soft spot for her, and seeing her so out of sorts and pleading for his sake irritated him even more. He also felt a pang of jealousy as he pondered if she would beg the same way for him if he were in the same or worse predicament.Xiu knew her pity still tied her for Micah, or perhaps it was because she felt she owed him so much. After all, his grandparents had taken care of her.Her parents were now frequently gone from her life, and their relationship had deteriorated significantly since their divorce.Her mother was the only one who stayed, and she wasn't much help. The woman constantly ignored her and her sister, as s
“Boss!! It has begun again!! They've restarted! Your presence is urgently required!" As he listened to Rocky's anxious rambling on his phone, Arnold cursed inwardly. "What exactly happened?" Arnold snapped when Rocky paused for a breath. "A fight has broken out, and..." "What triggered the fight? Start at the beginning, and don't skip any details because if you do, I swear I'll shatter your limbs when I get there." He muttered through clenched teeth, annoyance swelling inside him. As he completed his remark, Arnold glanced at his table, wondering whether Jia heard his outburst, but she was engrossed with her phone, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to pique her curiosity with his business issues when she already had enough to deal with. Worse, it wasn't just any business but affairs involving the murderous gang he controlled. He couldn't explain anything at the moment, especially to Jia. It was too risky. Even if he informed her, she might or might not understand
Arnold gripped the steering wheel and slammed his foot into the pedal. His car sped out of Jia's driveway and onto the busy road. The streetlights illuminated the night with a rainbow of colors that swirled along the road like fireflies in a pond. He didn't notice anything beyond the windows because he was focused on the road ahead, but the sounds and cool breeze passing by were enough to relax him. With every passing mile, he got closer to his destination, and despite trying so hard to be calm, Arnold soon spiraled internally. As he replayed Rocky's report in his head, he was overcome with rage and fury. Roman—that was the name of the jerk who'd committed the heinous crime that had generated a commotion among the gang members. But how could he? How could that motherfucker? That jerk! He was responsible for the commotion that had broken out, and why had the fool done thIs? Well, the answer was self-evident. He'd done it for money. Even if Arnold paid them well, this selfish je
"Lisa, what exactly are you doing here?"Lisa fought back a smirk as Arnold turned to face her, arms crossed across his chest in defiance, and his eyes narrowed into deadly slits that made her feel afraid for a brief second. He looked so intimidating, and the prospect of his being enraged and doing anything horrible to Lisa made her uneasy.Arnold would never dare to touch her. He wouldn't dare because she was his closest confidante recently, and he knew about her traumas and how much she detested physical assault. But did he care about her that much so as not to touch her? She had no idea. She'd sneaked into his house earlier by tampering with the latch on the front door, and she’s done this to surprise him when he returned. However, the look on his face when he’d walked in through the open bathroom door and spotted her was one Lisa didn’t like at all.For goodness sake, she'd dressed in her most expensive lingerie, her legs wide open and exposed to the air like some sex goddess, b
SOME DAYS LATER Arnold pulled open the restaurant door and stepped into the dimly illuminated area.Finally, he was meeting Mr. Kein tonight, and he prayed everything went well. The conversation would go smoothly, and he'd acquire the information he needed. Days earlier, after following his inner voice's advice, Arnold had taken the card Mr. Kein had given him and contacted the number on the business card. LThe call had gone through, and Mr. Kein had picked up on the first ring. Mr. Kein had chatted passionately, and he had seemed genuinely interested in the reason Arnold had phoned, which was a bonus.Arnold had asked for a meeting, and Mr. Kein had agreed. The older gentleman had then supplied the address of this eatery, and here he was. Arnold sighed and looked around. There was no indication of Mr. Kein, nor were there any customers in the building. This was strange, and a shudder raced down Arnold's spine as he proceeded to take in his surroundings. Something didn't feel q