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
Days later, and finally, Arnold arrived home.He should be delighted, he thought to himself as he pulled open the door to his flat and entered. He wasn't, but then he wasn't sad either. However, his thoughts were still preoccupied with the previous events and everything that had occurred. He still hadn't healed emotionally from the botched bomb attack, and although being released from the hospital, his anxiety for Mr. Xiu's safety remained great. That's why he'd assigned four of his most trusted gang members to keep a close eye on Mr. Xiu until everything was back to normal.Arnold remembered Mr. Xiu's horrified expression when he'd brought the four guys to stay with him in the hospital room and how, jokingly, he'd convinced the older man that the men meant no harm and would protect him from all sides.When Mr. Xiu questioned who they were and where Arnold got them, he lied through his teeth and told his mentor that the men had been hired from a top-tier security firm. Mr. Xiu, fortu
"It's the tattoo. I recognize it. I know who's behind all of this.” Arnold said again, his teeth clenched as shocking wrath coursed through him. He should have known better. His assumption was correct, but the fact that someone close to him had done something so heinous hit him like a punch in the gut. How could he? How could the motherfucker hide behind some ridiculous disguise to conceal such nefarious intents and terrible intentions towards an innocent man like Mr. Xiu? Arnold was enraged by these questions and thoughts. It disgusted him to the core, and the words replayed in his head repeatedly. He could almost smell the foolery in the air, and frigid wrath grabbed him, each thought threatening to overpower and consume him whole. "You know who's behind all of this?" Sasha interrupted his thoughts, and Arnold nodded curtly. "The cretin!" Arnold hissed to himself, hands clinched, his gaze returning to the blurry screen. He wanted to double-check the tattoo on the man's wrist j