Natalie was beaming with happiness as she talked to her mother over the phone while driving. Her hands rested comfortably on the steering wheel as she listened to her mother’s cheerful voice on the other end. "Mom, I'm so glad that Aunt Marie is alive and with Uncle Oliver, safe in Springfield City. It's such a relief," Natalie said, her voice filled with warmth.Her mother’s laughter was contagious. "Oh, Natalie, you have no idea how happy this makes me! Our family is finally coming together again.""Maybe we should go visit them soon," Natalie suggested, the excitement evident in her tone."Yes, absolutely!" her mother replied enthusiastically. "I can’t wait to see my sister, Marie. It’s been far too long."Natalie’s smile faltered slightly as she noticed a van in her rearview mirror, seemingly tailing her. Her instincts kicked in, and she tried to maintain her composure. "Mom, let’s talk more about this when I get home, okay?""Sure, dear. Take care and drive safely," her mother r
Gabriel’s face tightened with anger, his knuckles white as he gripped the phone. He knew this was just the beginning of whatever sick game Greg was planning.“What the hell are you doing with her?" Gabriel groaned, his voice barely controlled, trying his best not to be loud and draw the attention of others in the dining room.“Good question,” Greg cackled, a sickening, gleeful sound that made Gabriel's skin crawl. The laughter abruptly stopped, and his tone turned icy. “I want you to come over to the capital now. Or else…”"Don't you dare do anything to her, or I'm going to butcher you," Gabriel threatened, his voice low and fierce.Greg’s chuckle was mocking. “Wow, that's a big threat. Anyway, the clock is ticking. The decision is yours to make now. Come over, and I let her go. Or I boil her in this cauldron and feed her carcass to the dogs in my possession.”Gabriel’s breath caught in his throat. "Greg, don't hurt her. I'm going to—" But the line went dead. Greg had hung up.Gabriel’
Camella walked through the supermarket, taking in the bright, bustling environment around her. She watched with admiration as the staff moved swiftly, attending to customers with warm smiles and efficient service. She felt proud of how well the place was run. She had dropped by to surprise Gabriel, but Mike, the manager, approached her. "Hello, Camella, good to see you!" Mike greeted warmly."Hi, Mike. I thought I’d surprise Gabriel," she replied with a smile. "Is he around?"Mike shook his head. "No, ma'am. He hasn't come in today for the usual weekly assessment."Camella frowned slightly. “Uh- oh... He did mention earlier that he'd be taking his mother and Jessie to lunch with my parents. Goodness, I forgot."Mike offered a polite suggestion. "You could wait for him in the office if you’d like. He might drop by soon."Camella nodded. "Alright, I'll wait. Thanks, Mike."She made her way to Gabriel's office and sat down on the couch, looking around with a contented smile. She pulled o
Gabriel's grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. His heart pounded loudly in his chest. "How the heck did that happen?" he demanded.“I don’t know,” Mike’s voice crackled through the phone. “It looks like someone set it up and—”“A setup?” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as his mind raced through the possible suspects. "Okay. Just make sure everyone is safe."“Okay, but your—”Gabriel ended the call abruptly, cutting Mike off. As he fumbled to dial Natalie's number, expecting Greg to answer, an unknown number flashed on his screen. He answered it, and Greg's voice oozed through the line.“Are you on your way, Gabriel?” Greg's tone was mocking.“You scumbag! You had the guts to burn down my supermarket?” Gabriel’s anger flared."Uh-oh. Your supermarket…?” Greg sounded surprised, his voice dripping with insincerity.“Don’t lie to me! You better pray no one dies in there, or else I’ll burn you alive!” Gabriel growled.Greg laughed, a sadistic sound that grated against
A few hours later, Greg lounged comfortably in a swing chair, the metal frame creaking gently with each sway. He seemed relaxed, one leg dangling lazily over the edge, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The cool breeze brushed against his face, but his eyes were fixed on Natalie.Natalie was drenched in sweat, her clothes clinging to her body. She was just two feet away from the scorching cauldron, her legs curled up tightly beneath her. They ached terribly, muscles quivering from exhaustion and the intense heat radiating toward her. Her face was pale, and her breaths came in short, ragged gasps.Greg took a sip from his glass, watching her with amusement. “How’re you holding up over there, Natalie?” he called out, his tone mocking. “Getting a bit hot, isn’t it?”Natalie glared at him, but she was too weak to respond.He chuckled. “Come on, don’t be shy. We’ve still got some time to chat. I’m quite enjoying our little… bonding session.” He smirked, leaning back further into his chair. "Y
Zoe made her way to the reception. As she approached, Nora hurried toward her, with Aliyah close behind, looking anxious. “Please, tell me my sister is all right,” Aliyah pleaded, her voice breaking slightly. Marie and Oliver joined them, their faces tense with worry.Zoe nodded, trying to reassure them. "Camella just regained consciousness. She's doing fine."Nora exhaled in relief. “Can I see my daughter now?”“Yes,” Zoe replied with a small smile, and Nora immediately headed toward the ward, with Oliver and Marie following close behind.As they left, Anna appeared from around the corner, her face clouded with confusion. “What happened?” she asked, her tone flat.Zoe gave her a skeptical look. "Why do you seem like you don’t know?"Anna shrugged, her voice still emotionless. “I just heard there was an incident. What's going on?”“You heard? I told you. You were at the supermarket. Why sound oblivious?" "Who was brought here…?”Zoe’s reply was blunt. “Camella was caught in the supe
Shaking, Ruth stepped forward, clutching the stick tightly in her trembling hands. She stared at Gabriel, slumped on the ground, his body motionless. Her breathing was rapid, fear coursing through her veins. Suddenly, Leo rushed in, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. “Ruth, what did you do?” he exclaimed, staring at the stick in her hand.“I… I didn’t mean to hit him!” Ruth stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.Leo’s gaze shifted from Ruth to Gabriel, confusion and concern etched across his face. “Gabriel…? Why did you hit Gabriel?”Ruth swallowed hard, her face pale. “He almost killed our son,” she murmured, her voice shaky. “I had to hit him to stop him. I just hope… I hope he’s not dead.”Leo quickly knelt beside Gabriel, his fingers pressing against his neck. After a tense moment, he nodded. “He’s alive,” he confirmed, relief washing over him.Ruth sighed deeply, her body sagging with the weight of the tension. “Good. It’s a good thing we’ve been keeping tabs on Gr
After Greg drifted back to sleep, Leo and Ruth quietly stepped out of the ward, their footsteps echoing softly in the hospital hallway. Ruth’s face was pale, and her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her shawl tightly around her shoulders. “I hope we made the right decision by lying to him about Gabriel?” she asked, her voice shaky.Leo glanced at her, his expression calm but resolute. “Yes,” he replied. “It's best Greg thinks Gabriel is gone. It might stop him from being obsessed with proving himself to my father."“But what if your father finds out that Greg didn't kill Gabriel?” Ruth pressed, worry etched on her face. “What if he discovers we helped Gabriel escape?”Leo sighed, pausing for a moment to think. “He won't find out,” he reassured her. “We’ll keep this secret between us.”Ruth bit her lip, still unconvinced. “But what if Gabriel shows up in the capital again and tries to kill your father?”Leo stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression firm. “If that ha