11Cersei sat shaking behind their makeshift barricade as gunshots and shouts continued outside. The old man paced restlessly, glancing between her and the door with wild eyes."Please," Cersei begged, "tell me what you want. I'll do anything, just make this stop." The old man sneered, fear and desperation twisting his features. "What I want is that damn apple! But these gangsters have ruined everything." He kicked at a stray chair in frustration."Where is it?" He snarled, grabbing Cersei by the shoulders. "Do you have it here or not?!" She shook her head frantically. "N-no, the safe is in my top floor office. But we'll never make it past those men!" The old man muttered a curse and started pacing again."Fuck!" He let out an exasperated sigh as he paced the office, running his hands through his thinning hair in frustration. He started pacing around the office again, muttering angrily to himself. "This was not how this was supposed to go," he muttered to himself. "Should've just
12The old man stood alone in the empty parking garage, his hostages bound and gagged nearby. He kept a tight grip on his pistol, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" He called tauntingly. "You want your boys back in one piece? Then get down here, unless you're too chicken!" Minutes passed with no response. The old man began to wonder if he'd been stood up. But then, faint footsteps echoed through the cavernous space. The gang brothers emerged with few men, rifles trained. "We're here you old coot," one brother spat. "Now where are our guys?" "They're right here," the old man replied calmly, gesturing to the hostages. "But they ain't goin' nowhere till we hash this out like civilized folk. Now order your pups to stand down so we can talk."The brother hesitated, then barked an order. "Lower your weapons, but keep 'em ready. This ain't over yet, old timer."With weapons lowered, a tense silence fell. The old man sighed and lowe
13The underground parking lot echoed with the sounds of scraping boots and grunting men as the old man and gang leader dueled. Their weapons flashed in the dim halogen lights as each looked for an opening on the other.The gang leader struck first, slashing wildly. But the old man was surprisingly nimble, dancing back just out of reach. "Come on gramps, stand still!" The gang leader taunted. He lunged again, knife stabbing where the old man had been a moment before.A small smile played at the corner of the old man's mouth. "You'll have to be faster than that, sonny," he goaded in return. He parried the next attack, their blades meeting with a metallic ring. They pushed against each other, muscles straining. The gang leader was bigger and stronger, but the old man had experience and cunning on his side. With a grunt, the old man twisted, throwing the gang leader off balance just long enough to slip away. A well-aimed boot to the back sent his opponent sprawling.The watching gang
14 The old man looked up calmly into the barrel of the gun, his hands still raised in a gesture of peace. But inside, his heart pounded in fear. One wrong move and this volatile woman could end him without a second thought. "Ma'am, please listen to reason," he said in a low, steady voice. "Put the gun down before someone gets hurt that doesn't need to." Cersei's eyes blazed with fury and pain. "Don't tell me what to do!" she screamed, her hands shaking. "You've caused enough trouble already." Her hands shook with adrenaline and rage. Cersei glared down at the old man who was pleading in front of her. The cold steel of her gun pointed directly at his heart. His eyes were wide, filled with a mix of fear and desperation. He was trembling, but not from the chill of the underground garage. "Please, ma'am," the old man, Darien, pleaded, his voice hoarse and broken. "You have to understand. It's for my granddaughter. She's sick, very sick. I heard...I heard that the Golden Apple could
15Cersei arrived at the press event, flanked by her assistant Lillian and security guards. She plastered on a confident smile despite her disheveled appearance. The crowd was restless, buzzing with questions about the evening's events. A reporter called out, "Miss Smith, what happened to your clothes? It looks like you've been in a fight!"Cersei waved dismissively. "It was a harrowing encounter, but I'm fine now. As for my attire, well..." She chuckled lightly. "Let's just say I had an unexpected wrestling match with those ruffians!" The crowd murmured in surprise. As Cersei approached the podium, a hush fell over the audience. She leaned into the microphone, her lip curled in a confident smile. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm sure you all have many questions after the distressing news from the underground garage. Let me assure you, I am perfectly well."A reporter shouted from the crowd. "Miss Smith, can you tell us what happened? We heard gangs were involved and shots we
16After wrapping up her press conference, Cersei headed straight for the Mayor's office, her mind racing. As cunning as she was, anger and greed often got the better of her. She saw people as playthings to be manipulated for her own gain. Upon her arrival, the Mayor welcomed her with open arms, "Miss Smith, it's a relief to see you unharmed after such an ordeal!" he exclaimed, his eyes reflecting his sincere worry.Cersei offered a slight, almost imperceptible smile, hiding her big feelings of anger and greed raging within her. 'This man has no idea how simple it will be to deceive him,' she thought. Aloud, she played her part flawlessly, "I was lucky to escape. But it's made me realize we can't wait any longer. We should speed up our plans for the Golden Apple project."The Mayor's brow furrowed in confusion, his tone reflecting his bafflement. "Speed up the plans? We've not even settled on a price, and the gala is still days away." Cersei's eyes sparkled with cunning and she sp
17As Darien voiced his bold claim, a wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the air, the tension was palpable. The crowd, eager for drama, leaned in, their eyes darting between Darien and Cersei, hungry for her response."Miss Smith, is this true?" someone called out, their voice laced with a mix of curiosity and disbelief."Are you lying to us?" another voice added, the suspicion clear in their tone."How do you respond to the accusation that you fabricated the story of fighting off the gang single-handedly?"'Darien? What's he doing here! And how did he know I killed that old fool.'A flurry of questions flashed through Cersei's mind as she took two deep breaths to ease the panic that washed over her.As she looked at the unknowing masses, an evil thought welled up from her mind."Darien! Even though I divorced you and I know you have a grudge in your heart, you have to keep slandering me at a time like this?"Darien didn't react for a moment to why Cersei's attitude changed so qu
18"You think you can fool everyone by hiring an actor? This old fool can't prove anything! ""It is true that he alone is not enough, but what if you add this! "A video with Darien's words from was played on the big screen behind Cersei, Cersei's icy voice came out from it. Her coldness, her mockery of the old man, all things were laid out for all viewers to see."Oh my god! ""How could she do that. "There were bursts of emotion and whispers from the crowd, a sceptical gaze swept over Cersei, forcing her to continue speaking:"This isn't real! You guys have to believe me-"A heavy gunshot interrupts Cersei's pale defence, and the video behind her plays just in time to show her firing the gun and then spitting on the old man."Pathetic."The word silenced everyone in the room, and Cersei, under the big screen, looked like a sinner being judged by the crowd.The silence of the crowd weighed heavily on Cersei, like a mountain pressing down on her shoulders. She fixed her gaze on Dari