Victor paused for an extended moment before giving in. “You know… One day, my enemies are going to abduct you and use you as a radar to find me.”Eva wiped her tears on his coat and giggled like a child. “If your enemies exploit me to find you, they will be very successful!”She punched him repeatedly in the chest. “Do you know what I went through after hearing about your death? The world means nothing to me without you!”Victor chuckled and pried the girl off himself. “Alright. Alright. Now that I am back… Tell me… How did you realize I am Victor Damone and not Victor Cromwell? I need to know to prevent others from figuring out my identity.”Eva bit her lip and rolled her eyes, pretending to go into reflection.“Hmph. Are we going to completely ignore the fact that you possess the supernatural ability to change your appearance? It’s definitely not plastic surgery or any medical technology or theatrics. It’s something out of an urban fantasy novel! First, tell me how you are alive. I
Springfield City Hall was bustling with crowds from all over the city. It was noon already; the time for candidates to file nominations for the Mayor elections had arrived.The event hall was under tight military security with stringent measures—snipers on rooftops, body scanners, undercover soldiers, and armed security guards. The authorities were wary after the Springfield Beach invasion. Moreover, criminal groups like Monolith used bomb threats as their modus operandi. City Hall had been turned into a military fortress.Citizens of Springfield had gathered to see which eminent personalities would file nominations for the Mayor elections. Despite terrorist attacks, the city was raking in billions of dollars in revenue because of the Rapids Project's expansion. The future Mayor would be one of the country's most powerful individuals. They would be given charge of a complete army battalion to guard the city.The morning news reported that every major billionaire conglomerate had chose
Victor’s unexpected arrival and ambitious declaration got the audience buzzing with gossip. His entry into the fray completely changed the equation.“Will the Cromwell Prince be our next Mayor?”“He’s so handsome…”“Wasn’t he in the army? Is he a military surrogate?”“No way! Someone from the royal family wants to be our Mayor?”“Who’s the hot chick beside him?”“The others are pedestrians when compared to Victor!”General Lance Baker looked puzzled and was further disturbed by the raucous public gossip. He needed to get the situation under control.Lance left the registration desk and approached Victor. “Is this a joke?” he asked, out of the earshot of others. “Have you forgotten our agreement, Victor? You were supposed to manage Springfield until a Mayor was elected legally. That’s it! Why do you want to contest for the position?”Victor’s expression was one of icy composure. “I intend to keep that promise, General. The city will have a legally elected mayor—me.”Lance pursed his li
Courtney Blackwell was a lieutenant of Monolith, the international terrorist group that invaded Springfield and brought about thousands of deaths! She orchestrated pinpointed attacks and butchered several billionaire families in the city at their behest.Carol had worked hard to spread her eyewitness accounts to the police and the public. This included a press conference about her experiences during the invasion.Moreover, Courtney abducted the Atelier family and forced Carol to leak information about the newly discovered Thanatos mines. The Blackwell heiress was equally responsible for Victor's death! She even planted a time bomb on Carol before leaving her to die.How dare she set foot in Springfield again?Carol raced towards the advancing Blackwell family group and blocked their path. She stood straight in line before Courtney.Her lips quivered, her face twisted in a grimace, and she pointed an accusatory finger when she spoke. "How dare you show your face in this city again?! Mu
Victor Cromwell raised an eyebrow. Carol furrowed her brows, wondering if she had offended the new Mayor. What was she thinking asking such a weird question?"I don't remember meeting you before today, Miss Atelier…" Victor replied firmly. Even though his words were straightforward, intoxicating charm exuded from him."Are you okay?" he added, watching her shift uncomfortably."I'm sorry, never mind me. I just felt like I met you somewhere before—some sort of déjà vu. But please, no formalities. You can call me Carol."Victor nodded with grace. "I understand, Carol. You just had a long day. Have a rest. The election season ahead will be nerve-wracking. Moreover, I assume you're expecting.""You can tell? It's been only a few weeks! Don't tell me I'm getting fat already!"Victor shook his head with amusement. "No, of course not. I was in the intelligence wing of the army. They taught us a few tricks."Carol raised her eyes and scrutinized Victor. She wondered about his objectives for c
“What?” Eva asked in disbelief. “Are you sure?”“Absolutely certain.”The girl stared at the infant quizzically. Then, her eyes searched for Sophia frantically. What was going on?“But… But… Sophia said… You slept with her… And she had the baby… She submitted the paternity test as proof…”Victor nodded. “Fake paternity tests would be easy to procure for a doctor of her influence and renown. About sleeping with Sophia… I wouldn’t say I didn’t have sex with her. It’s just that I don’t remember.”Eva looked more confused than before.“These matters are separate,” the man added. “All I told you was that this particular baby isn’t mine. If it were, my senses would recognize it.”Eva rubbed her forehead, trying to understand Victor’s words. “My head is really muddled now. You say you probably slept with Sophia but are confident the baby isn’t yours? How does that work?”Victor led Eva away from the crowd and found a private corner table. He handed her a glass of wine.“You don’t need to get
Carol stayed in the washroom for ten minutes before leaving. She threw up several times. The young woman felt incredibly sick from the gourmet feast's smells and sounds. Do women get such powerful nausea a few weeks into marriage?On the other hand, Carol was insatiably hungry. Didn't that happen during the second trimester? She decided to go home. She'd rather have a home-cooked meal than fancy foods whose names she couldn't pronounce.Carol already had investors, lobbyists, and supporters lined up to meet her. After all, the young woman was one of the more credible mayoral candidates. Besides, she was the city hero's ex-wife, and people were excited to see what she was capable of.However, Carol wanted to slip out of the party at the moment. She somehow managed to dodge out of the banquet and walked down the corridors of City Hall.Carol noticed Josh standing in a corner, flirting with girls. She pursed her lips angrily. Where did her family run off to when she needed them?"My sist
Carol let out an ear-splitting scream in utter desperation. She couldn’t believe something so randomly horrifying would happen to her all over again. All she did was walk into an alley and find herself cornered by hyenas!Angelo immediately covered Carol’s mouth with a big, dirty hand. Even though nobody was around at this time of night to hear her calls for help, why take the risk? While the others held Carol against the wall, he whipped out a razor and held it to her gut.“Bitch!” he growled, running the edge against her soft skin. “If you scream again, I will rip through your pretty little belly button and find your intestines! Is that clear?”Carol winced as a shallow cut appeared over her belly. Suddenly, a strange realization hit her, and her eyes widened in terror. She looked at her attacker and nodded silently, streaming tears. Carol wasn’t worried about her own life anymore. Her only concern was the survival of Victor’s baby!Angelo cackled loudly. He and his gang often hung o