On the other side, Edward gathered a group of kids and started telling them some Andersen’s fairy tales. The purpose of these stories was to divert the attention of the crowd. He wanted to create an opportunity for his “prey” to fulfill its desires.“Kids, would you like to hear a story?” Edward spoke gently to the children.“Yes, please,” the children replied in unison.“Alright, let me tell you the story of ‘The Little Match Girl.’ Once upon a time, on New Year’s Eve, there was a little girl who couldn’t go home and had to wander around, selling matches one by one. She had a hard life; her mother and grandmother had both passed away, and she had to live with a cruel father in a run-down house. On that New Year’s Eve, she had to go out and sell matches with thin, tattered clothes, and an empty stomach. She was afraid to return home because she feared her father would beat her if she had sold no matches. Feeling too cold to continue, she sat down in a small alcove between two walls. S
Cipher was extremely panicked, and dealing with a thirteen-year-old boy made the situation even more challenging. He couldn’t just abandon Matt, yet jumping into the pit to rescue him wasn’t an option either, as the hole seemed rather deep from what Cipher could observe. The only solution at this point was to call for adult help; he needed help.“Matt, wait for me a moment. I will call my older brother,” Cipher said. He hoped Matt would provide him with a useful solution, but all he heard in response was Matt’s increasingly loud cries for help: “Save me, please, don’t leave me alone. I heard some strange noises down here earlier. What if there’s an animal, or worse, a wild beast? I can’t even imagine. Please, don’t leave me; I’m so scared.”Cipher looked down at Matt and couldn’t help but feel empathy. He knew that if he were in Matt’s shoes, he wouldn’t dare stay alone, either. However, the problem was how to rescue Matt. Time was ticking, and the situation was far from ideal, especi
Cipher struggled as he carried Matt on his back. Their journey through the forest taking its toll. The distance seemed longer than ever before. The same forest that the young boy had ventured into with such enthusiasm now felt like a place he wanted to escape from.“Hang in there, Matt. We’re almost out of here,” Cipher encouraged Matt despite his overwhelming exhaustion. After all, Matt was injured, and Cipher believed he was much stronger. A boy who grew up in luxury wouldn’t endure this as well.“Okay,” Matt replied. He was clearly drained at this point.It took another fifteen minutes for Cipher to carry Matt out of the forest. Upon seeing them, everyone was alarmed. They rushed towards Cipher and Matt. Even the housekeeper, Carllota, was taken aback by the scene. She had let her guard down for a moment, and this happened? Matt got injured in the forest and was being carried by a young boy? Why hadn’t she noticed Matt’s disappearance?“Oh my, what have I been doing?” The housekeep
Looking at the terrain in front of him, Edward couldn’t help but marvel; it’s like Mother Nature herself favored him. An expansive grassy field combined with a dense forest – what could be better for setting a trap?Edward didn’t hesitate and entered the forest, examining everything around him. By chance, he stumbled upon a pit about five hundred meters from the forest edge, a five-minute walk.“Truly an excellent location,” Edward muttered. This distance was ideal. He couldn’t choose a spot too close, as it would be too easily noticed by others. Likewise, selecting a location too far away would be time-consuming, and if Matt and Cipher took too long to leave, they could attract unwanted attention.Edward marked the pit’s location carefully and quickly left his vehicle. Opening the trunk revealed a white bag filled with all the “tools of the trade.” Specifically, a handsaw, a small shovel, and various other implements. He had purchased these from an agricultural supply store quite som
“Master, we’ve arrived at school.”Cipher whispered into Edward’s ear. Seeing that Edward had closed his eyes, the young boy assumed his companion was asleep. Therefore, throughout the long journey, he tried to remain silent, not wanting to disturb Edward’s sleep. It wasn’t until the bus came to a halt in front of the school, and everyone disembarked, that Edward slowly opened his eyes.Of course, he knew the bus had stopped, and he knew Cipher thought he had been asleep. However, Edward didn’t feel like explaining, nor did he care to explain to the boy. He also couldn’t say that he had not been asleep but reminiscing about creating the trap – that would be rather amusing. So, for the entire trip, Edward continued to feign a slumber.Edward and Cipher exited the bus, and Cipher rushed to the car waiting in front of Edward. The young boy did not know that behind him, Edward was silently chuckling. Yes, he had achieved his goal. Everything that had happened that day had gone exactly as
Edward sat and stared at the computer. Mrs. Sherwood and her son had taken the bait. What he needed to do now was prepare a surprise for both of them. If they had intentions, he would have some as well.Edward thought for a moment, then went to the nearby desk to do some more work. He began typing on the computer. After a few minutes, an anonymous letter had been created. Edward quickly used the office printer to put the document onto paper.Yes, this was the surprise for them. However, he didn’t send it directly to Mrs. Sherwood, but through her husband. The recipient of this letter was none other than Mr. Sherwood, his beloved father.Edward carefully sealed the letter, signing it as Jk, a pseudonym he came up with. He also used a virtual phone number for contact.“There’s going to be quite a show!” Edward said with a mocking tone, and a sinister smile involuntarily crept across his lips. He had put a lot of effort into creating this surprise for his “dear parents,” and he was confi
“Ha, you’re joking again. As long as there’s money involved, don’t even mention extramarital roles; you could ask me to play a corpse, and I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” Frank spoke up, with a mocking smile. After years in the business, there wasn’t a role he hadn’t taken on. For him, “money talks.”“Just as long as you pay me a reasonable fee for my services, I won’t disappoint you,” Frank added. He wasn’t called the “King of Acting” for nothing; he had absolute confidence in his abilities.Edward said nothing, just looked at him with a meaningful smile. It seemed he was quite satisfied with the response from the other man.“Alright, I have a task for you,” Edward finally spoke.The atmosphere grew silent, and the smoke from their coffee cups continued to rise. Everything was so tranquil that you could almost hear the ticking of the clock.Two men, one old and one young, whispered about something, occasionally breaking into cryptic smiles.About fifteen minutes later, the man in
Mrs. Sherwood and Emily were stunned, unable to believe their ears. What was all this talk about love and being single or divorced? They had only met this man for the first time today. Where had all this come from? We’re’t they here to discuss Jasper’s matters? Just a moment ago, he was clearly talking about Jasper and asking if they had prepared the money. Now, his words seemed completely unrelated. Mrs. Sherwood couldn’t believe it, and Frank’s response had left her even more shocked compared to Mr. Sherwood’s sudden appearance.“Why did you betray your husband? Why did you tell me you loved me? You are so heartless!” Frank continued to put on a pitiful act, intentionally using the term “betray” as he knew it was a man’s deepest pain and the same question Mr. Sherwood had asked initially. His statement was an answer, a confirmation that removed all doubts.Mrs. Sherwood jumped up, her eyes turning red at some point, perhaps from crying or maybe out of anger. Few could handle having