It was a moment of uncertainty, a flicker of hope in the midst of their turmoil. Duncan, seemingly detached from the family dynamics, extended an olive branch, presenting a chance for them to regroup and face the challenges that lay ahead. Though skeptical, Bella and George found it hard to believe Duncan's unexpected offer. Bella, harboring doubts, remarked, "He's probably here to mock us, especially me. I've never been nice to him."George, torn between skepticism and a glimmer of hope, replied, "We have got no other choice at the moment."“Enter the car,” Duncan said and got in. They hesitated but decided to follow Duncan, a mix of suspicion and desperation clouding their judgment. After a ten-minute drive, the taxi halted and they got out of the car. Duncan led them to a duplex house, seemingly unaffected by their skepticism. He gestured towards the property and said, "You can live here." Bella and George exchanged surprise glances before fixating their gaze on the house i
Zinnia, dressed for the party, sat poised in front of her dressing table, a delightful smile playing on her lips as she combed her hair. Duncan emerged from the bathroom, buttoning his vest over his sleeves. A crafty smile replaced Zinnia's initial joy as she cast a glance at him through the mirror. She watched with caution as Duncan walked to the closet, retrieving three invitation cards. Seizing the moment, she rose and applied her perfume. Duncan, ever the provocateur, couldn't resist a teasing comment. "Planning on seducing another Peterson Rogers at the party?" His words wiped the smile off her face, prompting her to spin around and glare at him. "You should show some respect to the dead. Peterson is gone." Duncan, persistent, accused, "But that doesn't change the fact that you cheated on me with him. I'm sure you're looking out for better men to cheat on me with again." Zinnia, unfazed, chuckled. "Farewell. I can see you're still hurt over that." Duncan, aiming to provoke, s
After Lady Zelda and Karla distanced themselves from the table, a stern gaze from Ma'am Luna fixed on Zinnia. "You told me on our way here that Duncan probably is waiting for us here, so where the hell is he?""Grandmother, I really don't know," Zinnia replied."What nonsense?" Ma'am Luna slammed the table, glancing around to ensure her actions hadn't drawn attention before exhaling. "I'm going to lose my cool soon if you don't get Duncan here.""I think he's doing this on purpose, Grandma.""Doing what?""Purposely staying away to get us worried and worked up.""Really? Didn't you both prepare in your room?""We did. He got ready before me and simply said that he was going out to have some fresh air, then he vanished." Ma'am Luna rolled her eyes. "It's been over 15 minutes since we got here, and he's nowhere around. This is annoying.""I apologize on his behalf, grandmother. If you can grant me 20 minutes, I will leave and go get him."Ma'am Luna stared at her briefly before noddi
Hearing the name "Duncan" escaping Lady Zelda's lips left Zinnia and Ma'am Luna utterly dumbfounded. As Duncan entered, Ma'am Luna and Zinnia exchanged glances.“He looks really like Duncan,” Zinnia muttered. She stopped herself from mistaking the person she was seeing for Duncan because she knew Duncan was dead. She had killed him, and his lifeless body was lying somewhere out there.Ma'am Luna nodded. “That's it. I'm surprised too. But I really want to get so close to him and check out his eye color.”“He's really Archi's son and not Duncan.”“You sound too certain like you've kept Duncan locked up in a dungeon.”Zinnia gulped, and it struck her. “Grandmother, why did she call him Duncan?”“I thought I heard wrong, but I now know I didn't. I thought Gregg said Archi's son bears his real name - Dunstan?” Zinnia nodded and looked away, getting confused. Her phone buzzed again, and she read a message from Gregg. “Don't worry. He's Archi's son. I can clearly tell by the way he carri
After a brief silence, Karla pointed at Abigail, who strangely did nothing but stare at her in astonishment. “If you ever wish ill for Duncan again, then I won't think twice before giving you a dirty slap to get you thinking straight.”Abigail smirked and chuckled before rubbing her stinging cheek, which had turned red.“You know what, Karla? You're unbelievable. I had thought for once that you're different from those selfish women out there. I had empathy for you when you opened up to me, and that's why, to date, I have not told Duncan about your relationship with Rhino. You have turned against him and stabbed him in the back. Why? Because he rejected you?! You're so pathetic.”Abigail shrugged and straightened up, managing to smile. She simply said, “Enjoy the party, and… my regards to Duncan.” With that, she entered her car. Karla watched her drive off, engulfed in bitterness, then returned inside.Abigail pulled by the side of the main road later and called Xia.“You're at the pa
Ma'am Luna, losing her patience tightened her grip on Zinnia, urging her. “Answer me!” Unsure of how to respond, Zinnia hesitated before finally deciding to play along.“I didn't do anything, grandmother. Duncan just disappeared on his own, and I don't know where he is.” Zinnia maintained a facade of innocence, concealing the dark truth lurking beneath the surface. Ma'am Luna let go of Zinnia and she excused herself to use the bathroom. Confirming ma'am Luna wasn't watching her as she walked away, Zinnia signaled to Gregg who was standing some meters away from her, and headed out. Gregg followed her. He walked up to her as she paced back and forth outside.When he tapped her, she spun, startled and almond screamed.“Dear, relax. What's wrong?” Gregg asked.“Ma’am Luna, I mean my grandmother seems to be suspecting me. She just asked me about Duncan earlier.”Gregg frowned, concern etching his face. "What did you tell her?"Zinnia took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I
“Duncan!” Karla yelled, taking a step, but a smile on his face eased her worries. Gregg's men, stationed to take Duncan down, surfaced, awed by Duncan's calmness. Karla, surprised, rushed to him, checking his entire body in panic. “Duncan, are you okay?” Duncan nodded, taking off his suit jacket. Unbuttoning his sleeves, he revealed a bulletproof vest. Karla gasped and sighed. “You're wearing a bulletproof?” Duncan nodded, and she laughed softly before pulling him into a hug, panting. Amidst the chaos, Duncan embraced Karla. "I had to take precautions. I couldn't risk anything happening at this critical moment." Karla, relieved, whispered, "I was terrified. It looked so real." Duncan kissed her forehead. "I needed it to be convincing. Now, let's let them think they succeeded." Zinnia and Ma'am Luna, still amid the chaos, discreetly slipped away, realizing the plan had taken an unexpected turn. Lady Zelda, shocked, approached Duncan and Karla. "Duncan, are you alright?"
Duncan was surprised at what he heard and his expression turned stoic. “Duncan, I only learned about that tonight when I heard her and Karla talking about executing the plan.”Duncan looked away slowly, unable to believe his ears.Karla came closer and said, reluctantly, “Also, Abigail is Rhino's niece. I knew about it.”Duncan's gaze shifted to her in astonishment. “You learned about it today?”Karla shook her head. “It was during the last party.” Duncan's jaw dropped. “I'm sorry.”“You kept it from me for days?!”“I'm sorry, Duncan, I didn't intend to do that.”“Crap! How can you tell me that? Abigail is related to my father's killer and you kept such important information from me. Why?!”Karla sighed, remorse evident in her eyes. "Duncan, I didn't want to burden you with more pain. I was torn between revealing the truth and protecting you from the harsh reality. I thought it would be better to let you know at the right time."Duncan groaned, frustration and betrayal etched on hi