Returning home from work, Allison found her mother and sister in the living room, glued to the TV.Julia immediately stood up upon her arrival and bolted towards her before blurting out, "Allison,todayi'vebeenthinkingaboutmylifeandIrealizedthatIdon'tevenhaveDylan'snumberandIneeditbecauseIneedtotalktohimurgently." Julia said without breath.Allison was taken aback by her sister’s rapid-fire speech, as it sounded like she was speaking with an alien language. Hold your horses, Jules. What did you just say? Take a deep breath and say it again."Julia took a deep breath, calming herself before reiterating her words, “Today, I’ve been contemplating my life, and I realized that I don’t even have Dylan’s contact information, but I need it because I have something urgent to discuss with him.”Allison furrowed her brow and inquired, “What’s the reason behind needing his number? How does Dylan fit into your plans, and why do you want to reach out to him?”“Oh, you’re bombarding me with questions
Upon hearing Allison’s wish, Dylan remained mostly silent, knowing that he had a lot on his plate before making any decisions about buying a house for their future together. He understood that dealing with his enemies was a priority before he could settle down.The following day, Dylan set out alone to Red’s Angels to meet Lord Owens since he got a call from him after being told about the death threat by his daughter, Princess Mane. He boarded a taxi after dropping Maya off at school.As the taxi sped along the streets, Dylan’s gut instincts tingled, warning him that something was terribly wrong. He caught a glimpse of the driver’s suspicious glances through the rearview mirror, the once-friendly smile now replaced by a sinister expression. Alarm bells rang in his mind, but he tried to stay composed.His phone suddenly started ringing, and checking the caller ID, Dylan realized it was Azure King. He picked up the call and said, “I’m guessing you must be in the loop too.”“Well, your
“ARGHHHH! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!” Romero shouted at the top of his lungs as he cleared everything on his desk in anger. He just received the news about their failure to kill Dylan and worse of all, he lost a lot of trustworthy men to it.“How could I have let them outmaneuver me in my own game?!” he seethed.“Boss, it all went pear-shaped in the blink of an eye. At first, we were the ones with the upper hand, we had him in our claws and we were very sure that he was gonna die in our arms, Then, out of nowhere, a bunch of well-trained men showed up, heavily armed and outgunning us. They came for him,” one of the hoodlums recounted.Romero’s frustration simmered, his chest heaving with rapid breaths. “Describe these men to me,” he demanded.“We recognized one of them, boss. It was none other than the Azure King. One of the chieftains of the underground faction.”Romero’s face went as white as a sheet. “Apex Conglomerate? Dylan Clifford had the backing of Apex Conglomerate, and not jus
Dylan’s eyes widened in horror as he listened to James’ sinister words over the phone. “What?! You bastard, what have you done with Leo?!”Azure King and Lord Owens observed Dylan closely, sensing his anger and understanding that something was terribly wrong.“Oh, come on, Dylan. Of course your friend is fine for now, otherwise, how would I use him as a pawn against you? Between the two of you, Leo is a drop in the ocean compared to you — you’re the big fish, you know? You're the one I'm truly after. So if you care about this useless friend of yours, then you're gonna have to do as I say.” James taunted over the phone.Dylan sighed, trying to keep his countenance calm. “What's wrong with people trying to blackmail these days? So you think you’ve hit the jackpot because you have Leonard, right?”“He’s been your best friend since high school, and I know you care about him deeply, considering you broke my leg to protect him. That memory is still fresh in my mind,” James replied.Dylan ch
James paced restlessly within the room, his frustration palpable after the call with Dylan. Murmuring to himself and muttering curses under his breath, he eventually turned his attention to Leo, who remained seated, his limbs bound, and his gaze fixed with an intense glare on James."It looks like your supposed 'best buddy' doesn't have quite the same sentiments for you," James sneered, his tone dripping with bitterness. "In fact, he seems rather keen on seeing you kick the bucket, Leonard."Leo remained silent, finding no words to respond to the conversation he had inadvertently overheard between Dylan and James. Gagged when the call took place, the loudspeaker had broadcasted every word to him.But he knew Dylan well enough. He had a habit of swooping in to the rescue, and this situation wouldn't prove different. Even so, concern for Dylan tightened Leo's chest. James had something sinister planned, and Leo blamed himself for ever dragging Dylan into this mess."I've got a little su
(Apologies for the delay! I'm back to uploading chapters!)Dylan, overcome with shock, collapsed to the ground with a gasp, his eyes widening in a chilling blend of disbelief and horror as Leonard lay atop him, blood streaming from his mouth.Dylan’s chest rose and fell in rapid breaths as he grappled with the reality of the situation. Shaking his head in futile denial, he uttered a desperate, “No.”Summoning strength, he pulled Leonard away, rising with a gun in hand, directing it at James who, sprawled on the ground, wore a malevolent smirk on his battered countenance, still gripping a gun.“That bullet was meant for you, Dylan!” he snarled with fury, his laughter echoing in manic resonance. “But killing that bastard was no problem!” he taunted, a derisive chuckle punctuating his words, before attempting to pull his trigger—only silence, eliciting a gasp of disbelief.In the grip of fear, he glanced up at Dylan, noting the anger on his face, then promptly stood, hands raised in an a
As Dylan walked through the door, he was greeted by Stephanie and Maya lounging on the couch, deeply engrossed in cartoons. Maya’s eyes lit up at the sight of her father, and she bounded over to him, exclaiming, “Daddy’s home!”With a grin, Dylan scooped her up into his arms, feeling like he hadn’t seen her in ages. “Well, hello there, munchkin, were you waiting for me?” he inquired, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.Maya nodded enthusiastically, her brow furrowing in concern as she noticed the bandage adorning Dylan’s head. “Yes, Daddy, what happened to you?” she queried, her tiny fingers reaching out to inspect the injury, only to be intercepted by Dylan’s protective grasp.Stephanie, too, rose from her spot on the couch, her brow creased with worry. “Yes, Dylan, what’s the story behind the bandage?Dylan offered a strained smile in response to Stephanie's pointed remark before delivering a curt reply, "It's nothing, really."Stephanie refused to accept his dismissive response
Dylan stormed out of the house, his heart racing with worry, his fingers frantically dialing Allison’s number, his mind praying fervently for her safety. The gunshots he heard sent a shiver down his spine, signaling that something had gone terribly wrong.“Dylan, where on earth are you rushing off to?” Stephanie’s concerned voice trailed after him as she hurried to catch up.Dylan came to an abrupt halt, his gaze locking with Stephanie’s as he struggled to contain his urgency. “Steph, listen to me. Stay put inside the house, alright? Don’t come out,” he instructed firmly, a sense of urgency lacing his words like a tight knot.Stephanie’s brow furrowed in confusion and worry. “But why? What’s going on out there? And where in the world are you off to in such a hurry? she demanded, her concern mounting with each passing second as she noticed how restless he was.Dylan’s lips pressed into a thin line as he struggled to find the right words. “Look, Steph, I… I was just talking to Allison o