“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
Mr. Sherwood’s face turned deep red, and he was on the verge of losing it. Money and honor, the two things a man cherishes most, were being trampled upon by his wife. Mr. Sherwood couldn’t maintain his composure any longer, and the veins on his face were increasingly pronounced, as if they were about to burst at any moment. Moreover, her lover had plenty to say for himself. Even though he had been deceived, what did it matter? He had been used by the woman and had also lost his money.“I ask you, how long have you been fooling around with my wife!” Mr. Sherwood turned to Frank, his voice strained, wanting to know when the horns on his head had sprouted.“I’m sorry, but she and I have been involved for quite some time,” Frank replied with an unyielding expression.“For how long? I ask again! How long?” Mr. Sherwood shouted, unable to tolerate it any longer.“It’s been about five years, or no, it’s actually been six years!”Mrs. Sherwood and Emily, the two of them, were left stunned. Th
While sitting in the car, Edward was whistling. Everything was going according to his plan. It’s safe to say that he was extremely happy today. On the Sherwood’s side, things seemed to go well too, with the Sherwoods busy as can be. He wondered whether Mrs. Sherwood had to go to the hospital by now. Emily wasn’t sure when she’d be kicked out of the house. And how would the two of them explain things reasonably? Just thinking about it made him very satisfied. Not to mention, his big fish had taken the bait. What he needed to do now was wait for the right moment and reel it in.Perhaps it was his good mood, but Edward noticed that everything around him was beautiful today. He bobbled down the car window to breathe in some fresh air. The early autumn weather was crisp, and the trees were shedding their leaves, preparing for the next spring. The sun wasn’t as scorching as in the summer, nor as gloomy as in the winter. It was both calm. Occasionally, a few gusts of wind passed by, as if to
“Yes.” Cipher happily agreed, not giving much thought to the lie. Partly because Cipher had an immense trust in Edward, and also because Edward’s reason seemed very reasonable.As for Edward, seeing Cipher’s immediate agreement with no doubt, he was extremely pleased. He smiled gently, ruffled Cipher’s hair, and said nothing more. Edward then guided Cipher around the new house. After all, when Matt’s parents arrived, both he and Cipher couldn’t pretend to know nothing about the house. That would be too illogical.The house wasn’t overly large, and within about ten minutes, they had toured all the rooms. Edward had even intentionally decorated a room with vibrant colors, as if Cipher truly lived there. Right next to Cipher’s room was Edward’s own. It followed the same style as the rest of the house, with a dominant light brown color scheme, luxurious furnishings that weren’t too extravagant. The room, overall, appeared simple yet oddly exuded an exquisite elegance.“This room is beauti
“If there’s nothing else, let’s head home,” Edward spoke.“Can we come here occasionally?” Cipher added.Both of them gazed at the room filled with colors that Edward had mentioned were meant for the kid. For someone like Cipher, who grew up in poverty, it was a luxury. He truly wished he could stay here, as this room belonged to him.“Sure,” Edward replied, and then turned to the car. Edward agreed to Cipher’s request because the boy still held utility value, and also, Mr. and Mrs. Shively might come to visit Cipher. So there was no harm in having Cipher visit here occasionally.Upon receiving Edward’s agreement, Cipher was delighted. He no longer cared about the earlier issue with Celano or anything else. Cipher ran cheerfully behind Edward. He had to go home; he would make an appointment to come back another day.In the car, Edward spoke little, and Cipher didn’t remain silent. He guessed the person in front was pondering something.The weather outside was pleasant, and Edward open