“What did I tell you, Jain?” Stanley asked. They were at the parking lot now and Jain was leaning on her car. She had messed up big time. She had lost her cool and had been sent out of the room together with Stanley. Stanley had warned her to keep her cool but that had failed. Back in the hospital room, she had cold feet as she saw Ernesto. It was all surreal to her. After five years of constantly chasing him, she had finally met him face to face. They had finally been in the same room. But she couldn’t do anything about it. She had wasted the opportunity they had to interrogate Ernesto. Now they weren’t going to get anything. “I told you to keep your cool!” Stanley yelled at her. Jain slammed her fist on the roof of the car in fury. She wasn’t angry that she had messed up the interrogation. She was made aware that she couldn’t do anything to Ernesto. There was doubt in her mind that she was going to get such an opportunity again. It was over. “Answer me, Jain!” Stanley ordered.
Back in his younger days, Ernesto Valdez was a smart, intelligent, fast, and cunning man. Those were the attributes that made him what he was today. One of the biggest names in the whole of California. He had worked so hard to build his wealth from nothing. And when he had everything he wanted, he had formed this big family. The family that terrorized the streets of Los Angeles; The Valdez cartel. Laying on his sick bed and writhing in pain, Ernesto had never thought for once he would end up like this. He was always so careful about his whereabouts and who he saw. If someone ever became a liability, he would cut them off immediately. That was his way, and that was the way he had taught his son, Daniel. Sensing that his time to step down was almost here, he hoped that his son had learned sternly of the consequences of his actions. And that he would be able to carry on his legacy. The dream was to have a family in every city in the country. And so far, they only had ten. New York, Det
When Rylan got the message from Daniel Valdez, he found it hard to believe. First, he wondered how possible it was for him to reach him. And two, he was suspicious of the fact that Daniel wanted to meet him at the club he had brought that. The club was back in session now, and it was packed better than before. Rylan had feared the attack on the club which had cost him investors and also customers but that wasn’t the case. It seemed the news of the Valdez cartel being taken down had made everyone feel safe once again, and they owed it to Rylan. He had been the only one brave enough to stand up for himself. Everyone else in the city was used to the cartel taking whatever they wanted and also bullying them in the process. That wasn’t Rylan’s persona. He had been bullied in the past by his ex-in-laws, and that had taught him a valuable lesson. There was no way he was going to sit back and let other people do whatever they wanted while he was here. That was why he had chosen to help peopl
Everything had gone from zero to a hundred in a split second. Rylan Daystar and Daniel Valdez had decided to sit out and talk out their differences. At least that was what Rylan had thought. Now they all had their guns pointed at each other. Daniel was flabbergasted at how Rylan had been able to move so swiftly. In a flash, he had turned the loss into a victory. Daniel knew that if he opened fire, it would first end in his demise before his men followed suit. He couldn’t risk another loss again. They had already lost too many men in their last battle. There was no need for any more bloodshed. Rylan stared tentatively at Daniel. He was hoping he would pull the trigger. From the way he held his gun, Rylan knew his first shot was going to be off target. While he had his guns perfectly aimed at him and one of his men. It would be sad that Daniel would be the first to die. He was watching the other man with the corners of his eyes. He was yet to make any move. Rylan could see sweat gather
“Goodnight, Detective,” Stanley said, wearing his gray coat. Jain watched him from her desk. “Goodnight, Rogers,” she responded. Stanley turned to her fully dressed and nodded with a smile. “Don’t stay up too late,” he said. “You should get some rest. I know it’s been a tough few weeks.”Jain flashed a fake smile and nodded. “I will.”Stanley smiled back and turned around, leaving the precinct. Jain didn’t take her eyes off him until he was gone. She sighed in relief and looked at Jack at the file before her. There were two. One on Rylan, and the other on Ernesto Valdez. She was trying to put the pieces together. What would have started a war between them? Though Rylan was well known in the steers, he didn’t cause too much trouble the way the Valdez cartel did. He was always silent and barely got his hands dirty. At least that was what she had thought until the attack on the Valdez’s hideout. It had been a massacre and there were about forty deaths. Jain had seen a massacre like
Rylan Daystar poured some scotch into his glass and took a sip. He was back home now and was satisfied with how things had gone with the Valdez cartel. He had successfully tamed them. It would be hard for them to go against him again. It was sage to say that the city was all in his hands now. Rylan shook his head and smiled to himself. He had been able to kill two birds with one stone. With the cartel out of the way now, he could focus on other things which were the police and Lana’s case. He hadn’t heard from Lana since she had left, and he couldn’t deny the worrisome feeling he felt for her. Dayton was keeping watch on her every day of the week, and his reports were all the same. She was just living a regular life. It seemed she had finally detached herself from the Casino shareholders. With what he had in store for them, he was happy that she wasn’t part of them anymore. Now he could execute his plans perfectly. Now a black undershirt with the sleeves folded, he walked out of th
Rylan Daystar stepped out of his black Mercedes and straightened his clothes. He was dressed in a black suit and a white undershirt once more. His most iconic wear. The afternoon sun was hot and Rylan looked around to make sure he was in the right place. He wasn’t surprised to learn that Tristan had moved to the hills. Tristan Montreal, his best friend, was a tech wizard. He was one of the best in the country. Rylan knew if he showed Tristan his digital room, Tristan would be intrigued. He had tried convincing Tristan more than a couple of times to work for him, but Tristan had refused. He wanted to be independent and Rylan respected his decision. Now he was successful. All this was himself. Rylan looked at his car in the driveway of Tristan’s house, specifically at the window as he tried to see his reflection. When he was okay with his appearance, he walked towards the porch. Rylan rang the doorbell and waited patiently. When Rylan had brought up Tristan’s name, Williams wasn’t to
The feeling of Deja vu struck Edward McCullough, as he found himself in the backseat of a moving vehicle with his face being covered. He was headed to see Ernesto Valdez once more. He had seen the news and was aware of what was going on. How could Rylan have gotten through to the cartel? There was nobody who would have known the residence of the cartel. They were very careful with who they worked with. Edward felt this was all his fault. He had put the cartel at risk by involving them with Rylan. It seemed that Rylan wasn’t stronger than he had expected. He had managed to take away their company and also take down the Valdez cartel. It was a stunning achievement in all honesty. But it was an achievement Edward couldn’t acknowledge. Daniel Valdez had called him over to discuss with him. Edward was thinking it was about a new strategy. The last one had felt woeful. It had ended up in the cartel getting hurt and Edward getting agitated. Maybe it was best they took out Rylan finally. It
VENICE, ITALY6 MONTHS LATER. “Stay away from me!” The man yelled as he ran through the dim streets for shelter. Behind him, a man dressed in a black suit with a black mask was running after him. In his hand was an FN 5’7. The man in black pursued him endlessly. When the Italian man stopped for shelter, he pulled out his gun from the pockets of his leather jacket and aimed at the man in black. “Rylan. Watch out,” Williams called in his ear. “Holy shit!” Rylan yelled on his breath as the man pointed the gun in his direction. Two shots were fired and Rylan managed to dodge the bullets before they could hit him. “Are you sure this is our guy?” Rylan asked. “Affirmative. Dominic De Rossi,” Williams replied through the comms. “I just hope you’re right.”“When have I ever been wrong?”Rylan rolled his eyes and fired back at Dominic. The shot whizzed past Dominic’s head and he scrambled to his feet immediately. Rylan saw this and decided to go after him. They were on the main stre
“They let you in?” Jain asked. “Of course they would.”Jain sighed and drank her cappuccino. They were both seated at a table in the cafe. It was at their favorite spot—the table by the window. It had been two days since Rylan had spoken to Frederick. He could still remember the shock on his face when he told him he had forgiven him. It wasn’t something that Frederick had expected. Frederick was aware that he despised him, but there was no need to keep that grudge anymore. The battle had been won. The best thing he could do now was move on and that was ok his agenda. Jain shook her head in disbelief. She was baffled that they would let Rylan into the prison to speak to Frederick McCullough. Well, he was Rylan Daystar. “So what did you tell him?”Rylan lifted his cup of cappuccino and took a sip from it. His eyes went to the parking lot outside the window. The morning sun washed all the cars there with its glorious light including his black Audi. “I told him that I forgave him.”Ja
The door opened and a figure dressed in suit stepped into the facility. The sounds of footsteps echoed through the hallway as the figure made its way toward the door. When it arrived, a guard was waiting by the door who was heavily armed. He opened the door and stepped forward. He had a grim look on his face. “Welcome, Mr. Daystar.”Rylan smiled at him and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Where is he?” He asked. “Waiting for you, sir.”Rylan nodded and stepped forward. He was in a prison facility, one of the most dreaded in the country. Rylan was here to see someone special to him. He would call it a mockery, but there was something he would love to say. This was the last thing on his bucket list before he could tag this mission as a success. They arrived at a room and the guard opened the door for Rylan. Inside the dimly lit room, a figure was sitting at a table dressed in orange. Rylan clenched his jaws and stepped into the room. He turned back to the guard who was still sta
“I thought we were going to head back home?” Jain asked as they headed into their Airbnb. “Well, Los Angeles is a two-hour flight back, and my pilots are off duty for the night,” Rylan said, closing the door behind them. Jain sighed and rubbed her neck nervously. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been in a room alone with a man. That had been with Jacob; five years ago. Rylan took off his suit jacket and hung it on the cloth rag before folding his undershirt. “If this makes you uncomfortable I could get a different room for myself.”Jain turned to him. “You could do that?” She asked. “I mean, there’s no need for that.”Rylan arched an eyebrow at her as he folded his sleeve once more. “Okay. If you say so.”Jain nodded and proceeded to the fireplace. She was gazing at the crackling fire as she held her shoulders. It brought her soothing warmth. There was a center table in the small living room and on it was a bucket of ice with a bottle of champagne sitting in it. “Wou
WASHINGTON D.CRylan dropped his fork and reached for his napkin dapping his lips softly. Jain who was watching him had a glass of red wine in her hand. They were surrounded by people who also stayed in an expensive diner. One only Jain could dream of having. Rylan had changed her perspective on things over the last few days. She had managed to see the world through another pair of lenses; the expensive kind. Jain never knew that Rylan could be such a sweet person. She could vividly remember the first day she had met him. She and Stanley had been trying to solve the shootout that seemed to have happened to his club. When she had first laid eyes on him, she knew he was trouble. From the way he talked and moved, she assumed that he was as narcissistic and arrogant as the rest of all the billionaires in Los Angeles. But now as she sat across from him in an expensive diner, she couldn’t believe that she had been wrong the whole time. She had missed judging him, and that was fine by him
The party was lavish. There were lots of special dignitaries who filled the scene. The paparazzi wouldn’t stop flashing their cameras at them. This was the biggest party in the city. It was an awards party which would explain why there were so many famous people. A black Lamborghini arrived at the scene and halted on the red carpet. The door lifted and a figure stepped out of the car. It was Rylan Daystar who was dressed in a charcoal black suit with floral patterns and a shawl which was tied at his waist. He looked like a Frenchman. He moved to the other side of the car and opened the door. A woman stepped out of the car all dressed in a white gown. It was Jain, and she had a new look. Her platinum blonde hair which was always long was cut short now making her look dangerously beautiful. Rylan smiled as he watched her close the door of the Lamborghini. A valet came forward and Rylan threw the key to him. “Make sure you take good care of her.”“Yes sir,” the valet said, getting in
Rylan opened the door and stepped into the house. He had a grim look on his face. Arlene, who was seated on the couch engrossed with the television, looked up and saw him walk in. She immediately turned off the television and smiled at him. “Rylan. You’re back.”Rylan nodded. “Mom I’d like for you to meet someone,” he said standing aside from the door. Arlene raised an eyebrow at this. “Come in,” Rylan appeared to be speaking to the door until a figure stepped into the room.As Arlene saw the figure, she immediately flashed back. There was no way this was happening. He was real, and he was still alive. He was Paul Richmond. Arlene tried to speak but no words could converge. Paul looked at her and smiled. “Hey, Arlene,” he greeted. Arlene tried to look away but she couldn’t. His voice brought back so many memories. Like when Lauren had first told her that she was pregnant die him. Or when he had tried to combine her right outside the Vice chancellor’s office to come with him. Th
“I’m telling you son, the Los Angeles Angels might win this,” Paul said as he stepped out of Rylan’s Lamborghini. “Well, I hope you’re right, Dad. Because I have put a lot into this,” Rylan said, shutting the door of the car. Paul came to his son and wrapped his hand around his shoulder. “Trust me, son. You’ll see.”Rylan scoffed and they walked towards the entrance of the stadium. They had their seats reserved in the executive box. Rylan was here to watch his football team win the title. He was supposed to be here with Leah, but she told him she had some other pressing business to attend to. And so he decided to go with his father instead. There were now a few things left for Rylan before he could cross off his bucket list. Everything was going according to plan. “I saw you receiving the key to the city,” Paul said. “I couldn’t be more proud of you, Rylan.”Rylan turned to him. “You saw that? How?”Paul chuckled and patted his shoulders. “I was there.”Rylan’s eyes almost bul
“Do you have jitters?” Detective Jain Reynolds asked. Rylan turned to surprise. “Of course not.”“Well, you’ve been talking about your thigh for the last two minutes.”“I’m just anxious.”Jain turned to him. “About what?”Rylan kept silent for a few minutes to think about it. “About this, I guess?”Jain scoffed at his words. “You’ve been in front of a crowd a million times. This is the same thing.”“Well not exactly. I’ve never been in front of a crowd filled with police officers.”Jain laughed at his words. “Rylan Daystar is being intimidated by a crowd of police officers. Who would have thought?”Rylan rolled his eyes and placed his hands before him. They were both standing in a room alone. In a few minutes, they would be taken outside to be handed the key to the city. Rylan wasn’t exactly sure why he was there. When Jain had first told him about this at the cafe? He quickly declined the offer. The city saw him as a hero. But he wasn’t. He had so many flaws that would prevent