Miles had a confused expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”“Kelsey’s dress; where did you buy it from?!” Lola’s face held a shocked gaze as he looked at the dazzling dress that her daughter was wearing. She felt the fabric with her hands which left her in greater shock. This cloth had to be expensive.Lola was about to ask her husband how he had afforded the pay, but then she held her curiosity back as she remembered that Miles was a broke man. The only sensible conclusion that she could come up with is that Miles had purchased this at one of those illegal shops that make cheap versions of expensive clothes, except they make it hard to distinguish.Lola sneered as she believed she had figured out the actual situation. “Miles, please, never buy my daughter this knock-off dress again. It’s embarrassing. I know you’re trying to look like a cool father, but it would only end in humiliation when someone finds out that her clothes are fake. Then what will you do when everyone starts makin
When Lola heard these words from her husband, she stared at him with incredulity before she broke out into laughter. “You? Help me? You’re joking, right?”Miles shook his head with a soft smile still on his face. He was aware that Lola was openly mocking him but he played the fool still. “Of course, I believe I can help you with any problem that you have at work.” He stood in front of the woman, which made them pause their walk. “Lola, I’ve been meaning to have this conversation with you for a while now. I wonder why you barely let me in on all your struggles at work. You might be surprised by how much help I can provide.”Lola covered her mouth as she let out a ‘pfft’. “How am I supposed to believe you, Miles? You didn’t even make the cut when you applied for an office job at the company. Your performance must have been so bad that they could only offer you the post of a gatekeeper. Plus, you only got that job because you are married to me.”Miles sighed as he gently patted Lola on t
Miles watched as Lola walked away from him, heading back to the aisles she had left earlier. This time, the woman had forgotten to take her daughter back with her.Kelsey looked up at her dad. “Dada, what are you going to do now?”Miles looked back at the box with the intricate pattern. “Since your mom has decided to not purchase this, I guess the luck is on me.” He grabbed the item in one hand before carrying his cute daughter in the other hand. “Let’s go pay for this.” He tickled his daughter briefly, earning a squeaky giggle from the little girl. Then they headed to the counter where the shopkeeper was.Miles dropped the box on the table. “I would like to purchase this item.” He looked at the shopkeeper’s name tag. The shopkeeper’s name is Theo Good. It made sense that this establishment was called ‘Theo’s Antique Goods.’The shopkeeper, who was an old man, glanced down at the item that this customer had chosen. His smile dropped as he saw it was one of the items he had long deemed
The shop owner, Theo Good, had accepted his faith. He was an archeologist in his youth who used to work with a big archeology company. Throughout his life, he had seen various items and treasures that he had appraised well and he had been commended for them. Unfortunately, he quit working with the company due to various conflicts arising as the year went by. Also, he was getting older and wanted to live life according to his desires. Thus, after leaving the archeology company, he opened this shop where he would sell items that he occasionally found whenever he was on private excavations with his acquaintances in the archeology circle. So even though he wasn’t working at the archeology company anymore due to his old age, he was still very much involved in the profession of appraising items. In reality, Theo Good didn’t pay a dime when he got that box from one of his excavations. On that trip with his acquaintances, he had been struck with bad luck and almost didn’t find any item worth
“Take your stupid money and get lost!”Miles remained still when this happened. His calm gaze suddenly turned cold as he glared coldly at the man. Theo Good was shocked by the fearsome stare of this tall handsome man, and he took a step back. “What are you going to do? I’m the rightful owner of the good. I get to decide if I want to sell it to you or not, and I choose the latter!”Miles calmly raised the printed receipt. “How can you even claim to have any right over that box? The right became mine the second I got this receipt from you….”Theo Good suddenly snatched the receipt from Miles’s hand and angrily tore it to bits. He hoped that the classy customer had not seen the amount stated on the receipt. The classy man burst into laughter as he had seen the amount on the receipt before it was torn up. “My goodness! You actually sold off such a precious item for $5?!”Theo Good could only look away in shame. Now, he felt like selling this item for $100,000 would be quite hard.Lola h
Miles wanted Theo Good to hear him as he was making the call. This retired archeologist had decided to cheat him out of the goods he had bought fair and square. He didn’t care that the classy-dressed customer wanted to pay $100,000 for it. The fact still remained that it was now rightfully his.Theo Good scoffed. “What exactly is this? Do you think you can call over your pals to come cosplay as some big shot to scare me? Fine, bring it on, young man! I’ll wait and see what show you can afford to entertain me with today. Just know that you are still going to end up in prison; I promise to make that your reality.”Miles simply smiled at this old man. This was the reason why he wanted his wife and daughter out of the shop. The person he had called just now was Alan Butch – one of the three big bosses of the underground world in this city.There were three underground kings who ruled together, maintaining and controlling the channels that had been established to do all sorts of businesses
“What the hell is going on here?!” A deep voice suddenly boomed through the store. Theo Good was shaken by the boisterous voice. Even the classy man, who had stayed quiet and was enjoying the show between Theo and Miles, was disturbed by the voice. The classy man had been really intrigued at the boldness that Miles showed while facing the old storekeeper. He had never thought this young man, who looked like he was from the lower class, would dare stand up to the antique appraisal legend in such a fearless manner.The only person who remained completely unaffected by the sudden loud voice was Miles. In fact, he remained facing the counter while the other two stared at the approaching person.By the entrance of the antique store, there was a tall and buff man standing there. This man had a leather pant, combat boots, and a sleeveless leather jacket on him. His chest was opened bare and one could see the amount of tattoos he had from his neck down to his waist. It gave off a rebellious
The three big bosses of the underground world were currently bowing before Miles, and the few customers in the antique shop couldn’t believe it.Miles took a good look at the three big bosses before nodding his head in approval. “You weren’t late, so don’t worry about it. Get up.”“Yes, Sir Miles!” The three men chorused before rising to their feet. Alan took a step forward. “Boss Miles, please, tell us why you’ve called us here.”Theo Good was still shaken by the fact that he had just witnessed the three most fearsome men he knew bowing down to the man he had threatened. Fear gripped him to the point where he was sweating profusely as Miles informed the big bosses what had happened between him and Theo Good.The classy-looking customer had slowly taken a few steps back, making sure that he wasn’t mistaken as an affiliate of the antique shop owner.Once Miles had explained everything to the big bosses, the three men turned around to glare heatedly at the older man.“Wait, wait! Please
Miles knelt down to her level, smiling softly. "We did, sweetheart. But winning was just the first step. Now we have to make sure it stays won."Sarah's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"Miles quickly looked at his family, then shifted his focus back to Sarah. "We still have a large amount of work in front of us." Nevertheless, I think we are prepared for the challenge. Do you want to assist us in improving the city? Sarah nodded with great enthusiasm. "May I work as your aide?" The room was filled with laughter, relieving the tension that was growing. Miles stood and playfully tousled Sarah's hair. "You have the ability to become anything you desire, young one. "That is the main objective." Maxwell cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Miles, there's something else we need to discuss. About your role in the family."Miles tensed, memories of their past conflicts flooding back. "Dad, I-"Maxwell held up a hand. "Let me finish. I was wrong, son. I tried t
Miles paused at the door, turning back to face his defeated enemy. "You're right about one thing, Ethan. It's not over. It's just beginning. But this time, we're building something better. Something just."With that, they left, racing towards the Lyon compound. While driving through the city streets, they observed evidence of the night's happenings all around - police barriers, lights flashing, and groups of spectators. "What do you think Joseph Lyon has?" Lola asked, her brow furrowed with concern.Miles shook his head. "I don't know, but we can't let him walk. Whatever it is, we'll face it together."They arrived at the Lyon compound to find it in chaos. Creek family members and newly arrived police officers were everywhere, securing the premises and rounding up Lyon family members and associates.Elena met them at the entrance, her face grim. "Joseph's in the basement. He's threatening to upload some kind of dossier to the internet if we don't let him go.""What's in the dossier?"
Elena's voice came through, tense but steady. "She's inside. Ethan took the bait. He's got her in his office."Miles tightened his fists, suppressing the anxiety eating away at his stomach. "Okay then. I am entering. Always remain committed to the plan, regardless of any obstacles that may arise. With that, he walked confidently towards the front door, feeling his heart racing but remaining determined. The guards by the entrance became tense when he neared. Miles declared that he is here to visit Ethan with a commanding tone that left no room for disagreement. The guards nervously looked at each other before one of them communicated on his radio. After a brief pause, they moved out of the way, letting Miles go through. While strolling through the grand corridors, Miles couldn't shake the thought of the countless lives ruined to uphold this image of authority and extravagance. He prepared himself, aware that tonight marked the end of everything. He reached Ethan's office door, pau
Miles took a deep breath, his mind racing with possibilities. "We need to create a distraction. Something big enough to draw Ethan's attention away from his office."Lola stepped forward, her face set with determination. "I have an idea. But you're not going to like it."Miles turned to her, concern etched on his face. "Lola, what are you thinking?""Me," she said simply. "I'll turn myself in to Ethan. Tell him I'm abandoning you, that I want to make a deal.""Absolutely not," Miles said firmly. "It's too dangerous."Lola stood her ground. "It's the perfect distraction. Ethan won't be able to resist the opportunity to use me against you.""She's right," Rachel interjected. "Ethan's obsessed with destroying you, Miles. Having Lola in his grasp would be irresistible."Miles shook his head, his voice rising. "No, I won't risk you like that. There has to be another way.""There isn't," Lola insisted. "We're running out of time and options. This is our best shot."Maxwell placed a hand on
"Dad!" he called out. "This way!"In some way, amidst the chaos and lack of light, they succeeded in coming together again and leaving the cabin. In the woods, they ran without direction, with the sound of their pursuers not far behind. "There's a river approaching," Maxwell gasped while they ran. "If we manage to get across, we could risk losing them." They continued moving forward, with branches lashing their faces and the ground unpredictable beneath their feet. At last, the sound of water rushing reached their ears. "We arrived," Elena wheezed. But as they reached the riverbank, a shot rang out. Miles felt a searing pain in his arm and stumbled."Miles!" Lola cried out."I'm fine," he forced through clenched teeth. "We must continue to keep going forward." Stepping into the icy water, they could hear their pursuers approaching nearer. Miles glanced behind him and observed flashlights moving among the trees. With a sinking heart, he came to the realization that we will not be
While driving in uncomfortable silence, the city lights disappeared in the distance. After what felt like an endless amount of time, Dorian veered onto a dirt path that twisted through thick forests. "He declared that we are nearly there." Out of nowhere, headlights were visible in the rearview mirror. Dorian muttered curses quietly. "They've found us."Miles twisted in his seat, his heart pounding. "How? We were so careful!""Questions later," Dorian growled, pressing down on the accelerator. "Hold on, everyone!"The vehicle surged ahead, jolting harshly over the bumpy road. Sarah began to weep, and Lola tried her hardest to console her while hanging on tightly. "That way!" Elena yelled while indicating the direction in front. A tiny cabin appeared, tucked in between the trees. Maxwell came to a halt in front of the cabin. "Everybody, leave!" "Hurry up!" They scrambled out of the car, Miles helping Lola with Sarah while Elena and Maxwell grabbed what few bags they had managed t
It's a gamble," she remarked, "but there's a chance it could succeed." Count me in. One after another, the rest of the Autumns concurred. When they joined hands to confirm their sudden collaboration, Miles felt a spark of hope for the first time in weeks. Miles did not realize that another person was secretly listening to their conversation. In a room on the upper floor, Maximilian Autumn, the eldest child of Nigel and heir of the Autumn family, was having a conversation on the telephone. "Did you get all that, Ethan?" Maximilian whispered.On the other end of the line, Ethan Chariot's voice crackled. "Every word. Good work, Maximilian. Your family's betrayal won't be forgotten when this is all over."Maximilian's grip tightened on the phone. "Just remember our deal. When the dust settles, I want control of both the Autumn and Chariot families."Ethan chuckled darkly. "Of course. As long as you hold up your end, you'll get everything we agreed upon. Now, let's discuss how we're goi
While embracing each other, both fully conscious of the peril nearby, a faint voice was heard from the staircase. "Mom?" Father? "What's happening?" Miles and Lola looked in the direction Sarah was standing, her worried expression evident on her small face. They shared a glance, aware that their future decisions would impact not only their destiny, but also that of their daughter and the whole city. Miles kneeled and extended his arms towards Sarah. "Sweetheart, please come over here." Mom and Dad have something significant they need to inform you about. While Sarah embraced them, Miles and Lola promised quietly to defend their family and seek retribution against anyone who posed a threat. The larger view was starting to become clear, bringing with it the understanding that their lives were about to change forever. The sudden ringing of the doorbell surprised Miles and Lola, interrupting their quiet chat. Miles cautiously approached the door, looking through the peephole. Surpris
He was startled by the ringing of the doorbell. He opened the door and saw Rachael Autumn standing there, her face showing signs of worry. "Rachael? What are you doing here?" Miles asked, ushering her inside.Rachael wrung her hands nervously. "Miles, we need to talk. It's about your family... and mine."Miles' eyes narrowed. "You mean how your family has been lying to me all this time? Using me?"Rachael flinched. "It's not like that, Miles. We didn't have a choice.""There's always a choice, Rachael," Miles spat. "You could have told me the truth.""And you?" Rachael shot back. "You lied too. You said you were single, that you were just Miles Autumn. Was that all a ploy to get close to us, to get information?"Miles stepped back, stunned. "What? No, I... I never said I was single. I just... I didn't mention my family because I was trying to protect them."Rachael's eyes softened. "I believe you, Miles. But you have to understand, we're all caught up in something bigger than ourselv