"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you, sis?" I poked my head into my sister's room as she was getting ready for the party. "Woah... You look incredible. Is this really my sister?" I teased, making her toss her comb, which hit me in the chest. "Ouch!" I pretended to be in pain. "Remember, you have to be nice when he arrives. Don't ruin my perfect night!" my sister threatened with a stern look. "And no, Bash will pick me up in his limousine." "Are you sure about him? Don't you despise him? Since when did you become someone who prefers to compromise your principles?" I entered her room and sat on her bed as she adjusted her dress. Admire herself in the mirror. My earlier compliment wasn't exaggerated. Helen, my sister, looked stunning. Her light blue satin A-line dress with lace accents on the open back was a showstopper. She looked no less glamorous than the celebrities on television. "You know, sometimes love is just confusing. I don't even know why I'm so crazy about Bash, e
Ding! Ding! Ding! The cafeteria buzzed with the sound of notifications on everyone's phones during this crowded lunch break. Then, a voice cried out, "Stop! Aaaa... It hurts... Stop! Stop!!" The pained voice and desperate screams of a woman echoed in unison from all the students' phones. Startled gasps and sudden silence swept across the room. All pairs of eyes turned toward me as I stood there frozen, holding a lunch tray. Then, the familiar voice of the distressed woman, a voice I recognized all too well – what was happening? What had occurred? Ding! A message came through on my phone too, and as I saw it, my jaw dropped in disbelief. The tray in my hand slipped from my grip and crashed to the floor with a resounding clatter. Without a second thought, I sprinted with all my might toward Bash, Terry, and Lyan, who were sitting together, engrossed in a video on their phones. They saw me approaching with my fist clenched, and they quickly stood up, forming a protective barrier aroun
"Danzel Harrington!" The prison guard called my name as he knocked loudly on my cell door, then opened it without waiting for my response. I was in the middle of folding the blanket and tidying up the bed. "Harrington, pack your belongings and get out of here. I hope we never meet again," commanded the guard, and I stood up to grab my worn-out black duffel bag, containing my worthless possessions. After ten long years, I finally breathed the fresh air of freedom. My steps halted in front of the prison gate, staring in awe at the changes that had taken place outside. Where should I go from here? My entire family is gone. Should I visit their graves? I clenched my fists tightly, suppressing the pain in my chest. Armed with the meager funds I received from the prison and a piece of paper with the address of a motel designated for ex-convicts like me who wanted to start a new life, I boarded a bus that stopped at a nearby bus stop. The bus took me to the city center, which had change
[Throw your body backward when I give the signal.] 'What?' I responded, confused by the message. A moment later, a loud voice in my ear nearly deafened me. [Now!] Instinctively, I obeyed the voice, which coincided with the sound of a gunshot fired by one of Bash's henchmen. The bullet, missing its intended target, struck the leg of another of Bash's lackeys, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse. "Damn it!" shouted the shooter. "Hey, you're such an idiot!" Bash protested. "Do your job correctly, or you'll replace him as the fish's meal!" "Y-yes, boss!" [Kick!] the voice commanded again, and this time, I fully trusted it. With all my strength, I kicked the leg of the man holding the pistol from the side. There was a cracking sound as his knee joint buckled, followed by a cry of pain. Without wasting any time, I relied solely on my instincts and punched him in the side of the face, rendering him helpless. Seeing that both of his henchmen were now incapacitated, and with a
"So, do you have a personal grudge against Tom Merrick?" "Tom Merrick or Merrick Corp, whatever it is. Because what is Tom if not for Merrick Corp, right?" I nodded. Alright, if that's the case, then we have a common adversary. The enemy of your enemy is your friend, that's the proverb I know. "What do you know about their treatment of my parents?" "I don't know the details, but the way he treats his opponents is very consistent. Let me show you something." Mr. Burrow now led me to his office, which appeared even more cluttered than the other rooms. Piles of leftover food wrappers were stacked, emitting an unpleasant odor. The scent of nicotine was heavy, casting a yellowish hue across the room. The shotgun he had earlier rested on a long table behind his desk. Then he pulled out a file from the drawer, a thick file. He tossed the stack of files onto the table, creating a resounding thud. Then, enthusiastically, he spread out some of his own investigative findings that he had co
[These documents will be useful for your future purposes.] The system provided a suggestion without me asking after my frustration subsided. "Sir, may I take all these documents with me?" "Of course, take them with you. Perhaps all this information will be more useful if you have it." Mr. Burrow's gaze now drifted far out of his window, observing the procession of clouds in the sky that was about to bring rain. I knew that wasn't what caught his attention, as his pupils lacked vitality. However, since it was our first meeting, I didn't find Mr. Burrow's behavior strange. Instead, I thanked him for allowing me to carry such crucial information. I was certain he had gathered all of this with great effort. "I'll be leaving now, Sir. Is there anything else you need from me?" Mr. Burrow shook his head and gestured for me to leave the room. Without being prompted, I lightly patted his shoulder. "I will avenge them, Sir. I will make them fall into a pit of mud and not give them a cha
"Let her handle your luggage, Mr. Rupert," Mr. Rocky instructed Anne to take my belongings, but I declined. "I'm sorry, I prefer to carry it myself," I politely refused, as the documents I carried were very valuable. "Very well then, we welcome you, and we're pleased you've chosen our inn. We'll provide the best service possible. Allow me to assist you with the check-in process," Anne gestured gracefully, inviting me to the counter displaying “information and receptionist” inside. Anne sat in front of her computer, her fingers agilely pressing the keyboard. The summer season had made the air warmer; I noticed the fan at the counter was broken, with screws and bolts scattered to the side. Sweat trickled down Anne's forehead, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. Perhaps unable to bear the heat, she then gathered her long wavy hair atop her head, revealing her slender and graceful neck. The image of my fingers slipping down that neck, pulling her into a passionate kiss, i
"Here," Dr. Bertha pointed to a newspaper clipping that reported a house fire in the city center, which happened 11 years ago.Memories of that event were triggered; at that time, I was still a freshman at Merrick High School. I lost a classmate, Jeanette. The second prettiest girl in my class after Lyra. She and Lyra were close friends, a pair of beautiful women who attracted attention wherever they went. Jeanette's tragic death brought me closer to Lyra, and we eventually started dating. Because I was there for her during the times of her depression over losing Jean."Jeanette was your daughter? I'm sorry for your loss, doctor. But what does this have to do with Merrick?""Do you know what she said the day before our house burned down? She was harassed by Bash and his lackeys. In the riverside cabin, just like your sister Helen... I went to their house to threaten them, telling them that if Bash wasn't imprisoned, I would expose the illegal organ trade that their hospital was involv
"Nobody move unless you want this bullet to pierce through this old man's skull!" Gatsby ordered, aiming the barrel of his pistol at the president's temple. The head of state instructed his men to comply with Gatsby's command."The four of you, follow me," Gatsby pointed at me, Elliot, Helen, and Kellan.Gatsby entered the City Hall and proceeded upstairs to Elliot's office, dragging the defenseless president along. Elliot grinned with satisfaction at the chaos caused by Gatsby. He knew he had been branded as a terrorist, especially since the one he was holding hostage was the president.He wouldn't live long after this, but he didn't want to fall alone. There had to be someone dragged along with him, someone responsible for his downfall, something he had fought for for years.That someone was Rupert, aka Danzel, and Helen Harrington, the siblings.Upon arriving at Elliot's room, Gatsby forced the president to sit in Elliot's desk chair, while Elliot gestured for me, Helen, and Kellan
Elliot never received any news about Alex's attack on Dustown Prison, nor did he want to inquire. His attention was occupied by the preparations for the President's visit, just a day away.As long as he didn't receive any notice from his aides regarding Dustown Prison, he would assume everything was fine. If there were even a hint of news about Dustown Prison, he'd be sure to know. But since Alex's request back then, there hadn't been any further requests. The atmosphere was completely calm without any issues. Elliot figured Alex might have backed off from attacking Dustown Prison knowing he was preoccupied with many matters."Kellan, have you found out who that mysterious donor is?" Elliot asked his secretary, having replaced his previous one because Sonia didn't approve.Kellan, his current secretary, shook his head. "No, Sir. He's truly mysterious. What should we do? He specifically requested to sit next to you. Should we still accommodate that request? Especially now that there's
Elliot's eyes widened as he discovered Rupert's hiding place. He chuckled dismissively, 'No wonder the police never found him all this time,' he thought. Then he recalled Erwin's presence, the young man who remained closed off and impenetrable to him. The only employee under his command whom he couldn't control. Yet, due to his good performance, he couldn't just dismiss him. 'Besides, he's not in a critical sector,' he reasoned, choosing to overlook Erwin, but his judgment back then was wrong. Unbeknownst to him, Erwin had been forging alliances there, a fact that escaped his notice. *** "[Elliot has discovered your connection with Erwin; he and Alex plan to attack Dustown Prison tonight,]" reported the system. "Anne is still in critical condition. Do something to prevent them from coming here tonight," I pleaded with the system. The doctors finished observing Anne, and she was moved to a treatment room, almost her entire body wrapped in bandages. The doctor also mentioned the res
Erwin drove us straight to Dustown Prison. Anne was still unconscious, and I supported her head in the back seat. Her condition was truly alarming, I couldn't bear to hold her body, afraid she'd feel more pain. Erwin called Ralph and ordered him to prepare competent doctors at the prison. Every second felt like a crossroads for me, constantly monitoring Anne's chest to ensure she was still breathing. I held my breath with every long inhale she took, trying to manage her pain. "Hurry, Er!" I urged Erwin. "Quiet! Don't command me!" Erwin snapped. I knew he was trying to navigate through the traffic in the Dustown city center; for this one, the system couldn't help because the streets were crowded with people, not because of traffic. Erwin repeatedly honked his horn to clear the pedestrians from the road. Several times, he had to brake suddenly as they crossed unexpectedly, truly testing his patience. After being stuck in the traffic jam for a long 30 minutes, our car finally gained s
About fifty people gathered in front of Jackie's Bar, arriving individually with their preferred modes of transportation from various corners of the city—some on motorcycles, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, cars, or by foot.There was no communication among them; they simply glanced at each other to determine if they shared the same purpose, exchanging a code by raising their left palm upwards, a symbol representing their Dandelion Organization, signifying a dandelion stem always seeking the sun.Without the need for lengthy discussions, they collectively entered Jackie's bar. Two formidable guards who had stood at the front door couldn't stop them and were pushed inside.A ceasefire ensued inside between the Dandelion Operation faction and Jackie's henchmen. Witnessing the chaos, Jackie stealthily retreated through the back door, leaving it all to his men. He valued his life too much.He cursed under his breath before calling someone, "You convinced me that he works alone! You said
Hearing the information from the system, I immediately headed to Jackie's place. Night was falling, the streets were getting crowded, and the city was brightened by decorative lights along the roads. Visitors from out of town, eager to witness the carnival in Dustown, flooded the pubs, hotels, and eateries.The city seemed to come alive again with stalls and food trucks lining the streets, creating long queues. It overwhelmed me to drive quickly through the chaos. While people were enjoying themselves, I was lost in thoughts about Anne's fate.*Honk* *Honk*My horn sounded at the drivers who parked recklessly along the street. I was truly impatient, especially with the drunken revelers who were barely conscious as night approached.I almost collided with a group of teenagers crossing the road without looking. I honked loudly, causing them to bang and hit the hood of my car. But I had no time to deal with them.Luckily, after passing the town square, the crowd lessened. I accelerated,
"I paced back and forth in Erwin's office, anxious as I hadn't received any recent updates about Anne. Not from Erwin's informants, nor from the system or Helen. I disliked this feeling, my intuition restless, sensing that Anne wasn't okay.Erwin, engrossed in his book, glanced at me from the corner of his eye, growing irritated as I disrupted his concentration."Tsk! Take one more step, and I'll kick you out," Erwin declared, unable to contain his frustration. His book remained untouched, the pages unturned due to my actions."Do you really have no information?" I asked again, wearing a pleading expression as I approached him."No, if I had any, you'd be the first to know. Now, get out of my space, or I'll have to force you out," Erwin commanded firmly. He was actually waiting for information that hadn't arrived yet. However, he masked it by focusing on more productive matters, unlike me.Right after that, Ralph arrived, carrying a vial bottle filled with thick white liquid. He was s
Alex was furious, howling like a possessed person, ordering his men to search once again, this time more meticulously. Meanwhile, he returned to the room to interrogate Camilla.The woman was far too relaxed about Anne's disappearance, even seeming pleased. Camilla must know something! That's what Alex thought. This time, he was determined to interrogate Camilla until she spoke. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she didn't talk."You!" Alex barked, striding quickly across the room toward the startled Camilla, who was taken aback by Alex's sudden rage. She dropped the magazine she was reading and stood up. Alex approached her and immediately grabbed Camilla by the throat, her eyes bulging from the intense pressure on her neck."Tell me where Anne is! I'm not joking around. Your death is in my hands right now," threatened Alex, his eyes bloodshot, his hand muscles bulging as he tightened his grip around Camilla's throat.Camilla knew her chance to play around had ended. She also figur
“You’re delusional. I don't want anything,” answered Camilla, her lips curved into a sweet smile for Anne. Of course, Anne didn't immediately believe her, convincing herself to remain cautious around Camilla.Throughout her life, Camilla had always treated her badly, harboring negative thoughts about her. Initially, Anne had always wanted to understand the reasons behind Camilla's behavior, until she realized it was futile—Camilla's judgment of her was already formed, no matter how hard she tried to show kindness. Camilla remained steadfast and eventually deemed Anne as a mere attention-seeker.Since then, Anne realized she didn't need to waste energy on people who hated her because they would continue to do so. She had to focus on those who loved her, not many in number but sufficient for her.Thinking about it made her heart ache once again; now those people were gone, Pops and Dr. Bertha, whom she considered as her own father figures. Meha, who had been like the elder sister she ne