City of Smokes
Author: MELODEAROSE
last update2025-04-24 23:47:11

Rain fell like a fine mist over Anony City, diffusing the neon lights into hazy glows that pulsed against damp sidewalks and shuttered storefronts. It was early—too early for most of the city’s vices to rise—but not for Laura Finch. She had never been one to wait for the night to draw the worst out of people. Evil, she knew, wore watches and drank expensive coffee at dawn.

The temporary office they had commanded on the top floor of Hotel Auria overlooked the eastern edge of Highlife—Anony's middle class residential quarter. From up here, the towers of glass and silver looked almost innocent. Almost.

Laura sat hunched over her laptop, its faint blue light casting hard shadows under her eyes. The coffee beside her had long since gone cold. Data filled her screen—financial records, resident registries, and the reconstructed timelines of shadowy investments she had begun threading together since arriving in Anony two days ago.

So far, the investigation into Edward Montgomery’s money laund
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  • THE GREATEST REVENGER SYSTEM   The Loser and His Protective Sister

    Thenma rushed to the other room in his small, dilapidated apartment. His hurried steps caught his sister, Adeline's attention, making her glance up suspiciously from the sofa. "Thenma, what are you doing?" Adeline asked, noticing Thenma with her makeup kit. "Are you covering up bruises with my cushion again?" Adeline anxiously forced Thenma to face her, inspecting the bruises on his face. "I only used a little, Adeline. I'll buy you a new one when I get my paycheck," Thenma said. Adeline gently touched the bruises and outs on his brother's face, saddened by the sight. It wasn't the first time "I don't care about the cushion. Were you beaten at work again?" Adeline's voice was direct, and Thenma's silence gave her away. "What else did those pigs do to you? The bruises from that bastard, Evan, and his friends haven't even healed yet." "I was just slacking off a bit, so they only gave me a warning." Thenma replied. "You call this violence a 'warning?" "That's just how the th

  • THE GREATEST REVENGER SYSTEM   No One Come To Help The Weakest Loser

    Thenma's head throbbed with pain as the wine glass shattered against the skin. His vision blurred, and blood trickled down his face, but anger—fueled by betrayal—burned hotter than any pain. "How could you do this to me, Pene?" Thenma's voice cracked, filled with rage and disbelief. He tried to move toward Penelope, his trembling hands tried to reaching out. Penelope, her face suddenly pale, took a small step back. For the first time, she looked afraid of the loser she used to look down at. "What the...? Stay away from me!" she said, her voice a little tremble. Her voice wavered as she saw the fury in Thenma's eyes. It wasn't the weak Thenma she had always known. It was as if she had woken something dark inside him, a sleeping monster that had now surfaced. Before Thenma could get any closer, Evan shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backward. "Where do you think you're going, loser?" Evan smirked as Thenma crumpled to the floor. "You really think you can have her? She's mine

  • THE GREATEST REVENGER SYSTEM   Guilty And Grudge

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  • THE GREATEST REVENGER SYSTEM   The Great Revenger System

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Latest Chapter

  • City of Smokes

    Rain fell like a fine mist over Anony City, diffusing the neon lights into hazy glows that pulsed against damp sidewalks and shuttered storefronts. It was early—too early for most of the city’s vices to rise—but not for Laura Finch. She had never been one to wait for the night to draw the worst out of people. Evil, she knew, wore watches and drank expensive coffee at dawn.The temporary office they had commanded on the top floor of Hotel Auria overlooked the eastern edge of Highlife—Anony's middle class residential quarter. From up here, the towers of glass and silver looked almost innocent. Almost.Laura sat hunched over her laptop, its faint blue light casting hard shadows under her eyes. The coffee beside her had long since gone cold. Data filled her screen—financial records, resident registries, and the reconstructed timelines of shadowy investments she had begun threading together since arriving in Anony two days ago.So far, the investigation into Edward Montgomery’s money laund

  • Almost Was Never Enough!

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  • Highlife Clues

    The room smelled like cologne, sweat, and something sour that clung to the silk bedsheets. Katarina sat still at the edge of the bed, her back facing the door, the sequins of her tight dress catching a faint glint of light from the ceiling chandelier. Her long, black hair fell over her shoulders in slightly tangled strands, the once-meticulously straight locks now damp with frustration.Her lips, swollen from Rover's greedy kisses, pressed into a tight line.She tugged the strap of her dress back onto her shoulder with a flick, adjusting her neckline and glaring at nothing in particular. Her reflection across the room stared back with the same dead-fed up expression—icy blue eyes dulled with irritation."Goddamn it," she muttered under her breath.He’d left her. Just like that.After everything she’d done to tolerate his touch, to hold back the shiver of disgust crawling up her spine—and he left her with nothing. No slip of information, no loose tongue, not even a whisper about what s

  • Under Control

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  • Something In Anony

    The sleek black sports car sliced through the night, its low hum blending with the cold wind that wrapped around the city’s outskirts. Thenma hadn’t spoken a word since they left. His hands gripped the wheel with perfect precision, his eyes fixed forward, lips sealed tight.Katarina sat beside him, feeling the silence thickening like fog. After what happened back at home—after those words, those fists—she thought he brought her out to say something. To hear something. Anything. But the only sound in the car was the engine and the distant whisper of the road under them.She didn’t dare breathe too loud.Thenma’s eyes glinted briefly with the city’s lights as they approached a familiar riverside lookout. Across the water, the city glittered like a fallen constellation. He parked the car and stepped out without a word, walking over to an old wooden cabin-like bench near the railing. The city’s reflection rippled in the water below.Katarina hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should fo

  • James Found Out

    It hadn’t taken long for Katarina to become the center of Rover Verelli’s attention. With her sultry voice, stunning beauty, and her practiced persona as a charming drinking companion-for-hire, she quickly found her way into Rover’s inner circle—just as Thenma had instructed. She hadn’t told her father what she was really doing at Verona Lounge, and she had no intention of doing so. Thenma had agreed to keep it between them.Before returning home each night, Katarina always made sure to change out of her seductive attire and slip into casual clothing—something she would’ve worn on any ordinary day. With a calm expression masking her double life, she stepped through the door of her home that evening.But she didn’t expect what was waiting for her.“Thenma… what are you doing—?”Her question was abruptly cut short.Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Thenma reel backward from a powerful punch to the face. Standing over him was her father—James—his face a mask of fury.“How dare you us

  • Wolf's Den

    The air outside Verona Lounge was thick with humidity, carrying the scent of city smog and the lingering aroma of cheap perfume from the women who worked its sidewalks. The neon sign flickered in crimson hues above the entrance, casting an eerie glow onto the pavement below. It wasn’t just another nightclub. It was a place of power. A place where shadows lurked in the corners, where men with deep pockets and darker secrets indulged in pleasures that couldn’t be spoken of in daylight. And tonight, Katarina Whittaker walked into it willingly. Getting in hadn’t been as simple as she expected. The underground broker she was forced to meet had slid her a note with a single, cutting remark: “Verona Lounge doesn’t take random city whores. If you’re not from Anony, you’re out.” That in itself was enough to raise suspicion. Katarina had worked through Blostom’s nightlife before. Clubs like Verona Lounge were supposed to be filled with girls from all backgrounds—runaways, desperate wome

  • Talking Plans

    The ride to Thenma’s apartment was silent, save for the occasional hum of the engine. Laura wasn’t sure why he had brought her here instead of discussing the plan elsewhere, but she didn’t question it. Not yet.The apartment building was tall, sleek, and modern—one of those places where the city’s wealthier residents lived, far removed from the chaos below. The 11th floor gave a perfect view of Blostom’s restless streets, yet inside, it was eerily quiet.Thenma unlocked the door with an effortless motion, barely knocking before pushing it open. The moment it swung wide, a bright voice greeted him."Thenma!"A girl rushed forward, her excitement clear in her tone. Katarina Whittaker—young, bright-eyed, carrying the kind of energy that could light up a room. Her long, honey-blonde hair bounced slightly as she reached for him, but then she froze.Her smile faltered.Her warm brown eyes flicked from Thenma to Laura.Someone she didn't recognize.And even though Katarina didn’t say a word,

  • Something Off About Everything

    The city of Blostom was awake in its usual rhythm—cars streaming through the roads, people rushing in and out of the Prosecutor Building Center, and the occasional blare of sirens in the distance.At 10 a.m., a sleek, midnight-black sports car sat idly in the parking lot, the tinted windows shielding its occupants from prying eyes.Inside, Thenma was relaxed—too relaxed. One hand rested on the wheel while the other lifted a can of soft drink to his lips. Across from him, Laura Finch sat with her arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed.She hesitated for a moment, then exhaled."You’re saying Joey gave you the hint… through a sandwich?"Thenma smirked, glancing at her sideways. “Mr. Douglas.”Laura rolled her eyes. "Joey."Thenma let out a chuckle, taking another sip of his drink. "Yeah, a sandwich. Pretty creative, huh? The guy used mustard to write the damn coordinates. Real old-school spy shit."Laura’s gaze sharpened, her skepticism evident. "And you’re sure you got it?"Thenma’s smi

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