Meanwhile, the situation at the Saunders Properties Trust office is being made busy by Alfred. Not because of the gunshot that he has received. No one notices his condition because he has treated the wound and covers it well by wearing new clothes.It’s about Naomi, who left the office without anyone knowing where she went to. It’s been more than three hours, and she hasn’t come back.“How come no one knows? What are you guys doing here anyway?” He grunts.“Welcoming guests with greetings and a smile,” replies the receptionist.“Monitoring the people in this lobby,” says one of the security officers.Alfred squints at that man. “And you didn’t see her leaving?”“I did! But it’s not my place to question her, or even preventing her from leaving the office. She is the boss,” the security officer argues.“Oh, God! Don’t you even realize her situation?” Alfred deplores.All those employees can only show their oblivions. Alfred rubs his head in frustration, before coming back to the recepti
Feeling insulted, Alfred vents his anger by throwing a punch. Thomas evades it simply by taking his head away, and again, he responds to it with another slap.This situation continues to repeat, with Alfred continually trying to hit Thomas but never succeeding and always getting slapped in return.Until five minutes later, that tough looking face is now swollen on the left side. Inside the car, Erica is grimacing with a painful expression, showing sympathy at the pitiful Alfred.“Is it the gun that you really want, or humiliation?” Thomas taunts coldly.Alfred doesn’t say a word, and doesn't even dare to look back at Thomas anymore. Both of his knees and hands are on the ground, looking down while holding his frustration.It is a fair fight, one on one, with Thomas not letting anyone interfere with their affair. Yet, Alfred really can’t do anything. His self-esteem has been crushed so badly after so many slaps.Even with the anger filling his heart, his face looks so desperate, starti
- Two Hours Earlier, When Alfred Was Taking Erica to Visit Thomas -As before, Alfred's arrival at this dilapidated block is again greeted by several street thugs with unfriendly looks. At least, his car is no longer stopped by these thugs.It seems like they are already familiar with the car Alfred is driving, and they are just following with their BMXs and off road bikes.More than two dozen of them, and all of whom are holding weapons. Metal baseball clubs, big wrenches with some metal chains, wired wooden clubs, you name it. Some of them even have guns tucked into their waists.“Alfred! What are we doing in this place?” asks Erica, looking around with an awry face.“Didn’t you ask me to take you here?” Alfred replies rhetorically, still looking composed driving the car slowly.“What do you mean?” Erica shows her confusion.Alfred doesn’t say anymore. He simply stops the car on the side of the road, right in front of an old and humble apartment building.“This is where he lives,” u
Some people might think that a woman’s mood can easily improve after a good night’s sleep. However, Naomi’s situation is different. Since ending her relationship with Thomas, she hasn’t been able to regain her usual self.Recently, she has been spending all her working hours inside her office. As she is engrossed with the amulet left by her late mother, a knock on the door suddenly interrupts her reverie.“Come in!”It turns out to be Erica, greeting spiritedly like always. “Yo, Naomi! Aren't you going out again today?”Naomi acts as if there’s nothing wrong. “Why? Is there something that I need to do outside?”Erica gives her a smile by shrugging a little, and approaches her. “Girl! You don't need to hide it from me. Everyone has noticed your changes.”“What changes?” Naomi looks baffled.“Come on! I admit he's a good guy. But you're Naomi Saunders. There are so many better men out there. You shouldn't be so fixated on one man.”“Sigh! There’s nothing between us,” Naomi denies. “You
Without saying much, Thomas decides to walk away. Naomi makes a pouting face, looking so dissatisfied.She is indeed upset. But deep down in her heart, she expects Thomas to defend himself, and tries to convince her. Carrying a feeling of disappointment, she gets into the car and starts it.Soon after that beetle car moves past the gate, Adam tilts his head a little like giving an order to Alfred. Knowing exactly what order Adam has given, Alfred hurries after Thomas.“Hey! You forgot something!”Thomas turns around, and instantly, a hard punch hits him in the face that causes him to staggering. As if that isn’t enough, Alfred punches him once more, sending him crashing on the ground.Adam approaches him composedly, and rummages all over Thomas’ body. He finds a roll of cash from Thomas’ pocket, and then gives it to Alfred.He doesn’t stop there! He keeps rummaging, to make sure whether Thomas brings any weapons with him or not.However, there’s no weapon to be found but only Thomas’
It isn’t that Thomas intentionally provokes Adam Saunders. He just feels the need to put some senses into Adam’s head, no matter how bitter the reality is.“Was it enough to make you aware of your own weakness as a man? They’ve learned you are weak against beautiful chicks. And you let them take advantage of that,” Thomas continues.However, it isn’t Adam who is provoked, but Alfred. That tough looking guy is now bending his knees, and then pulls up as much spring to launch a powerful blow, hitting Thomas’ left ribs cage from behind.Bug!His knuckle is planted so deep, causing Thomas coughing with bated breath due to pain.Thomas neglects the pain, and immediately swings his left arm behind even before managing to take a single breath.Alfred ducks down to avoid it. But in the next split second later…“Dsh!”His chin is hit by an uppercut from Thomas’ right knuckle, lifting him a bit in the air before he falls to the ground.Alfred retaliates, trying to get back up. But he finds it ha
Now he begins to give a serious thought about the warning Thomas left behind. He hurries back inside, and approaches Lothario.“Connor! Do you know that man earlier?” he asks.Lothario is petrified. His mind is preoccupied with the money he has just received from Thomas. Not wanting to be accused of accepting bribes, he simply shakes his head by faking an ignorant expression.Soon, Abby’s parents appear, and that office becomes a bit frenzied with their hysteria. Reuben Webb can only watch unenthusiastically, until they take their daughter home.“What issue they brought here?” Reuben Webb asks Lothario.“That girl was raped by the Governor’s son,” Lothario replies.Reuben Webb immediately scrunches his face so badly. “Another issue with the Governor?”With a fallen shoulder, he rubs his neck and his tired face. It puts him in a great dilemma, not knowing what to do with this issue. But then, after giving a brief consideration…“Just ignore it, and delete the report!” He orders before h
Lothario looks so stupid, finding it hard to believe that Thomas, who he often insults as the son of a farmer, would have that much cash in his pocket.“Dude! Where did you get that much money?”“I’m working at Saunders Properties Trust now!” Thomas pats his shoulder a few times, and gets back inside to look for Naomi, leaving Lothario with his confusion.Now Lothario is haunted by guilt. He didn't lie about his mother being hospitalized. He just feels so despicable, accepting money from Thomas after all the insults he threw at him.He takes out the stacked money from his pocket, just to do a double check in case Thomas was just playing a prank on him. But no, the money looks so real.A moment later…“Ting!”The elevator doors are opened. Not wanting to be accused of accepting a bribe, he quickly hides the money back in his pocket and rushes to his working desk.The fact is, the people who come out of that elevator are just outsiders. They come to Lothario’s desk to make a report regar
He accepts Naomi’s smartphone with mixed feelings. To make things even worse for him, Jackson Mitchell has heard his shouting too.[Whom I’m talking to now?]The voice on the phone sounds heavy and dark. The fat cop’s face is now slowly painted with fear. Clearly, the Governor is upset by something.“Sir! It’s me! Reuben Webb!”[It’s you, Reuben? I bet you already know who that girl is!]“I do!”[Then, why the hell did you shout at her that way? Have you forgotten how much money Adam Saunders has poured into our police department?]“But sir! I can’t just…”[I heard it, Reuben! I heard everything you just said to her! Regardless of her situation, it’s not your place to call a respectable girl like her a noisy bitch! Want me to put an end to your career?]“Apologize, sir!”He, who previously acted tough like a man with power, is now becoming a “yes man”, only repeating “yes sir” and “understand sir” while bowing his head.However, while Jackson Mitchell is lecturing him over the phone,