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,
The hospital room was filled with a sense of urgency and tension. Jia paced back and forth outside the surgery room, her heart thumping in her chest.She couldn't understand what Arnold had told her moments before when he'd arrived at the hospital with her father.There had been a near-bomb explosion, and her father's automobile had been blasted up.What if he was inside? What if they were both inside at the same time? What would she have done in her situation? Where would she start?Arnold and her father were the two most important persons in her life then, and she couldn't take the thought of losing them. Damn! Jia swiped her hands violently over her face, murmuring incorrigible words—words that made no sense because she just wanted to do anything to distract her mind from the terrible ideas and pictures she'd conjured up inside.She ruffled her hair frantically as she continued to pace about, anticipating news on her father and Arnold's treatment. She should've been in there. She
"You blew it! You failed miserably." On the other end of the line, a frustrated and angry voice yelled."I apologize, Mr..." Kein began, but the stranger cut him off. "Oh, please spare me that! You just had one job, and you fucked it up! This was supposed to be a simple transaction, but what did I get? To think I once held you in high regard, and now..." Kein clenched his hands as he let the ungrateful stranger's comments trail off. He was already irritated, and if he relied on what the man was saying, he'd lose it.'And to think I held you in high regard...' Kein refused to continue the sentence because it insulted his legacy—and his reputation.He wasn't just the beloved Kein known to all and sundry; he was also an infamous and ruthless gang boss and businessman who'd spent his entire life working his way up through the ranks and reaching his pinnacle. Yet, this stranger dared to approach him in this manner only because he possessed a rare antidote that could treat the deadly ill
"We heard what happened, boss, and we've come from the bottom of our hearts to express our condolences." Rocky, Arnold's second in command, completed his speech with a nod and a smile. A wave of emotions washed over Arnold as he looked around the hospital room, filled with gang members, all dressed casually and carrying bouquets and gifts. It was a subtle move to fit in with the environment, portraying themselves as friends rather than the criminals they were, and they succeeded admirably in their disguise objective. But, well, Arnold couldn't be happier. Despite their concerns and disputes, he'd come to consider these men as a part of himself, perhaps to the extent of calling them family maybe. Still, he enjoyed the connection he had with them, as well as the fact that they reciprocated his feelings. Because damn, they'd heard about the failed bomb attempt, and although the attack wasn't directed at him specifically, they'd come to visit, and if this wasn't love, Arnold had no id