Amid the palpable tension, Ma'am Luna, perceptive to Duncan's hesitancy, probed with suspicion, "Why aren't you saying a thing? Do you have other plans?" Duncan, gathering himself, responded with a shake of his head, "I'm just thinking of how I can carry out a presumed huge presentation smoothly. I've got no experience and I can't do it. I'm sorry, grandmother-in-law, but I won't do it." His unspoken hope for reprieve was dashed as Ma'am Luna persisted, an audience stunned by the unfolding drama. "You can do this, Duncan. I believe in you. Zinnia will put you through. Okay?" Resigned, Duncan nodded, accepting the looming challenge. Exiting the house, he made a beeline for his bike and dialed Karla. "Hello, Duncan?""Hey, let's meet up in the next one hour.""Alright." As he hung up, a heavy sigh escaped him, encapsulating the weight of his predicament. Meanwhile, back inside, Zinnia approached Ma'am Luna, masking her discontent. "Grandmother, how can you trust Duncan with
Shaking like a water leaf, Julie asked with trembling lips, "W…what is going on? T…Tara, what are you doing?" "Shut up! Ask your bloody cousin, Karla! She had the guts to set me up!" Sarah groaned. "And you'll pay for it." "How dare you, Sarah? Let go of Julie," Karla demanded with a fierce look. Sarah chuckled. "And if I don't?" Karla took a step forward, but Duncan held her back, stopping her from approaching Sarah. "Duncan, she's going to harm my cousin," Karla said in a whisper as Duncan gently held her face, making her look at him. "Ssh, don't panic, don't be rash, stay calm," Duncan said, guiding her aside. "Hey, Sarah, drop your weapon," the police inspector in their midst said, and Sarah laughed, shaking her head. "She's my ticket to leave here safely, and you think I will easily let her go? Hell no." "Sarah, you've done a lot of bad things, and you won't be able to get away with it," Karla said. "Neither will you, boss. Gregg won't save you," Duncan added, hoping she
Julie waved, feigning annoyance. "Geez, I hope you guys can work out your feelings." She inhaled, staring keenly at them. "I can clearly see you cherish each other.""Shut up, you're saying nonsense," Karla said and coughed slightly."Hm, and look who's blushing." Julie pointed at Karla's red face, causing Duncan to chuckle. The banter continued, easing the lingering tension in the hallway. Duncan exchanged a glance with Karla, and a subtle understanding passed between them. Julie, with her infectious laughter, brought a sense of lightness to the heavy atmosphere. The police inspector walked up to them, halting their discussion as Abigail approached them."Miss Karla, I'm sorry to say this, but you won't be able to stay at your place for a while because we will be doing some investigations there.""Really? Where am I going to stay then?""I guess you can check into a hotel.""My hotel is available, and I'm sure you would like to be one of our favorite patronizers again," Abiga
Peterson hissed. "Really? You want to talk something with me after sending me behind bars. Huh?!" Peterson sneered, grabbing the iron bars. "You really don't know how much I want to end you now because you've ruined my life." Duncan glanced at Abigail and chuckled. "I ruined your life? Nah. I think I should remind you that you changed my life by sleeping with my wife, having an affair with her, and almost trying to end me too before." "It's not my fault that your wife, Zinnia, considered you useless. She's a bitch, though. She threw herself on me. I should have known that it was all an attempt to get me to do anything for her while she gets good points and acknowledgment from her grandmother." "Whatever. Let's talk." "Are you deaf?! We've got nothing to talk about, so get out of here. Now." "Look, I just want to let you know that I know everything about your relationship with Tara or is it…Sarah, your half-sister who just killed herself am—" "W…what? How do you know?" Ignoring
Outside the cell, the mysterious figure glanced around, ensuring no witnesses lingered in the shadows. He then swiftly made his way through the dimly lit corridors, disappearing into the labyrinthine depths of the detention center. Back in the cell, Peterson's lifeless form lay sprawled on the cold floor, the gravity of the encounter sinking in. Suddenly, the cell door creaked open, revealing the returning figure of Duncan and Abigail."What the hell happened in here?" Duncan exclaimed, rushing to Peterson's side but cautious of touching him. Abigail gasped, covering her mouth in shock at the gruesome scene."He knew something, something important about Duncan," the mysterious figure's voice echoed from the darkness. Duncan's eyes narrowed, his gaze flickering between Peterson's lifeless body and the retreating shadow. "Who are you?""I am someone who ensures that secrets stay buried," the voice lingered before fading away. Abigail looked at Duncan with concern. "Do you know w
Laura creased her brows, growing more upset over Ma'am Luna's suspense until finally, Ma'am Luna said, "Laura, just forget about it. You don't need to know anything." "Mother, I do because I'm part of this too considering you've been involved.""No! Why can't you just be like George, your brother? He's not over-curious like you. Gosh, you want to know everything, and it's wrong." "Mother?""Just leave." She ordered, almost yelling. Outside the room, Duncan shut his eyes in annoyance over not getting to know the rest of the members of the Black Jones. He decided to leave before he got caught."Alright then." She rolled her eyes and left while Ma'am Luna sighed, rubbing her forehead. When Duncan entered the room, he met Zinnia sitting on the couch with a grimace."And where is my useless husband coming from?" She asked with a sneer. "You don't need to know." He eyed her and walked to the closet.Irked, she jerked up. "Do you know you're going to be representing the company to g
Karla, growing suspicious, muttered, "Why did Abigail leave to answer the call?" Duncan, emphasizing the need for privacy, responded, "Some matters require discretion, Karla." In Abigail's absence, Karla's gaze shifted between Duncan and Xia who was standing some meters away, searching for answers. The tension in the surroundings heightened until Abigail returned, offering an apology for the interruption.Karla, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, "Who was it?" Abigail hesitated for a moment before revealing, "It was my uncle." Karla, eager to know more, asked," Who's your uncle?" But Abigail remained silent, staring at her with an intensity that conveyed something else. Duncan, catching the weight of Karla's suspicion, looked at her with a knowing expression. "Karla, I know you think Abigail has secrets, but sometimes appearances can be deceiving. People have their reasons for privacy."Karla sighed, realizing Duncan's point. "Yeah, you're probably right. I just can't sh
As the call ended, Duncan turned to Karla, a mix of determination and concern in his eyes. "Karla, this is something I have to do. Trust me, I'll handle it. Just promise me you won't tell anyone about what's about to happen."Karla, reluctantly agreeing, nodded. "I promise, Duncan. But you better keep your promise to come back."With that, Duncan headed out hoping Karla would keep the promise she made to him, leaving Karla with a sense of unease. Outside the premises of the Walton Domicile, Duncan stepped into his waiting car, the engine humming as Jack, his personal guard, prepared to take him to the Lennart company as initially instructed. However, Duncan interrupted, "Jack, change of plans. Drop me off before Dot Woods."Jack, accustomed to such deviations, nodded and adjusted the route accordingly. The car cruised through the city, the streets gradually transforming as they neared the designated location. After a relatively long drive, Duncan instructed Jack to stop at a dis