As Claire entered the hall amidst gasps of admiration from the crowd, Joe Savage's attitude changed abruptly. His menacing aura dropped, and his attack stance changed to one of respect. The hulking gangster turned from a raging beast to an obedient pup. "Madam Holt… You didn't tell me you'd come in person to meet your honored guest. I escorted Victor Damone to the Executive floor following your orders."Claire raised an eyebrow. "It didn't look like you were honoring him when I entered." Her glare burned through him like a hot knife through butter. Joe broke into a cold sweat and hung his head. Deep down, his hatred for Victor doubled. Was he being scolded because of that ordinary man? He'd never forget the insult and nurture the grudge forever. He won't think twice before acting if he ever saw an opportunity to kill him. Claire turned to Victor's group. Lara and Daphne eyed the beauty from head to toe. When Lara had first walked into the Executive floor, only a few people had looked
Claire's private chamber was an exquisite work of art. The floor was made entirely of neatly cut aquaglass marble. The walls and decor featured a nature theme with mini fountains, aquariums, and colored boulders across the room. Tiny gardens boasted decorative plants and exotic flowers. Claire settled into a royal lounge chair and motioned Victor to sit opposite him. A small fountain spouted water into neon lights. An attendant arrived and served them wine. Claire waved her hand, beckoning that she wanted to be alone with her guest. The attendants bowed and exited."So… Victor…" she said, crossing her legs. Her voice trailed off as her dress rode up her legs, exposing smooth and silky thighs. Victor felt it necessary to acknowledge the billionaire's help. "Thanks for allowing my friends into the Executive floor. I appreciate it."Claire shook her head lightly. "Don't mention it. You rescued me in a critical position when I had lost all hope. I'd be dead if it were not for you. Openi
Victor interlaced his fingers and observed Claire intently. "Your proposal isn't sudden at all. I think you decided to hire me the very first time we met."The beauty smiled. "Well, nothing gets past you, it seems. But that should not matter. Just tell me, what do you say to my offer?""I have a lot of things to do."Claire nodded. "Let me put it this way, and lay out the map for you. You need a job now that your company is sinking. At least for appearance's sake. If you work for me, your wife will think you got your life back in order. And finally, acting as my bodyguard will give you an excellent cover for whatever your true identity is… For whatever you do secretly..."Victor's lips bent into a thin smile for the first time. "You seem to have thought this through. Impressive."Claire shrugged and grinned. "I'll pay you fifty thousand per month, and many of my resources will be at your disposal. Does that sound like a good deal?"Victor considered it for a moment and then spoke up. "
Chloe's eyes widened in shock. She kept checking and rechecking the latest message on her phone."You have received 1 million dollars in your account," it read.Beside her, Josh Atelier's jaw dropped. It was not an everyday occurrence to receive a million dollars in one's account.The Grizzly Kings abducted the couple, took them to Drummond Towers, and locked them in a room. Draken Towers was the headquarters of the Grizzly Kings and was a front for all their illegal activities. Its rooms also served as safe houses."Who transferred one million dollars to you?" Josh asked in shock."I don't know…" Chloe mumbled. Actually, she knew very well who had given her the money. It happened precisely after she asked the mysterious rich guy to help her. However, Chloe wasn't willing to share that information with Josh.Even though she considered him a temporary boyfriend, revealing that she was involved with another guy would be foolish. When the time was right, she'd break up with Josh and run i
Victor's Bugatti Divo slowed down outside Drummond Towers, and he parked on the opposite side of the road. Onlookers wondered who the wealthy man in the expensive car was. They were disappointed to see the driver walk out wearing cheap clothes.Victor eyed the structure that served as the headquarters for the Grizzly Kings gang. The antique building had been gradually renovated and expanded to look like a fort. He imagined the arsenal of illegal arms and armaments hidden inside.Nobody walked or waited by the footpath because Pedestrians were scared to walk in the gangster-infested area. They circled around to avoid Drummond Tower's location.Victor approached the main entrance, looking out for guards. As soon as he stepped off the curb onto the building portico, the door swiveled open, and two tall, heavy-set men stepped out. They were dressed in pullovers with a bear painted on the front."Who the fuck is he, Tito?" one guard asked the other."Why don't we ask him, Moby?" the other a
"It's okay, Donnie. I was dealing with the situation myself," Victor replied.The ferocious man eyed the crowd with disdain. "These scums don't deserve your attention, sir. Let me handle them." He joined hands to plead with his master."Alright," Victor said. "Get it done soon." He walked to his car and took the driver's seat.The Grizzly Kings gang was utterly bewildered by the strange turn of events. Did Donnie Tempest, the legendary gang leader, pay obeisance to a random stranger? Was this guy his superior? If so, what position was he in? Was he a Trillionaire or someone from the international mafia groups? They looked on in anxiety as Donnie approached them and stood before Lobo."I'm going to say this once," the ferocious man barked, his spit splattering on Lobo's face. "Your default payments have been repaid. Release Josh and Chloe within three minutes. I am going to walk away now. However, I will return within half an hour if I realize you haven't done what I asked. And I will w
"Where are you taking us?" Josh asked irritably. "We're not going to one of your driver buddy gatherings, are we?""Yeah, I have a salon appointment in an hour," Chloe complained, observing her nails.Victor sighed. "We're going to meet Carol," he said to Josh. "After I hand you over to her, my job is done. As far as your fussy girlfriend is concerned, she can get out of the car right now."Chloe was about to fire an insulting comeback when Victor's phone beeped. It was a message from Maverick. On reading the text, Victor's face darkened. It said James Colbert was trying to coerce Carol into sleeping with her. The man's jaws clenched, and his eyes went red. He floored the accelerator."Slow down, you maniac!" Josh exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill us?"Within a few minutes, they reached 4th Street. Victor's Bugatti drifted to a halt outside the Colbert Inc. building. He rushed out of the car with the engine still running. As he approached the main entrance, Carol rushed out of the bui
Tuscan Hill was a coastal hill on the outskirts of Springfield that trekkers and climbers avoided. The sunny side had rough terrain and was so steep that it was impossible to scale. Moreover, the leeward slope rolled down to the raging river. It was almost impractical to practice rock climbing on the hill.A characteristic feature of Tuscan Hill was its summit, which was a flat surface, often referred to as a tabletop. General Lance Baker was a high-ranking officer in the military. He arrived half an hour ahead of time and stood by his helicopter on the Tuscan Hill tabletop. It was his first rendezvous with a very important man, and the soldier wanted his first impression to be good.Lance was a young man dressed sharply in a general’s uniform and had flown the helicopter all by himself to the hilltop. The mission was quite sensitive, and the government could not risk any leaks at that juncture.The hilltop was often used to deliver covert information to New World Order agents since i