2024-03-04 17:52:11"We will play 36:1" The man announced as he resumed his seat at the table. Dean stood closely behind him.
"What is this? What do you take us for, bringing this filth to the table.""This is an insult to us.""My God, he stinks. Get him out of here." One of the men made gestures to his guards. The guards had begun walking angrily towards Dean when the old man gave them a dark look. The guards froze in their tracks."He is with me. If you don't like that you can leave." He said."You really think a gutter rat will help you win?" One of the rich men asked."Just be a good sport and accept your losses. We all have bad days too." Another advised."That's right." Two other men agreed. But the old man completely ignored them and the game began. He staked the exact amount he had lost so far, ten million.Dean won the first game. Even though he had been confident he could win, he was still shocked. The old man just smiled as the room went silent. He motioned for Dean to play again. By their third win there was a riot. The wealthy men had become like any average man on the street. Any average man who could not handle losing. They accused Dean of cheating and threatened to deal with him."You filthy thing. You think you can steal from people like us." One said"You, go call your manager. We will not let this cheating slide." Another shouted at a waiter nearby. "You will pay dearly for this." One man threatened. The old man was laughing now. He reached up to pat Dean's shoulder in reassurance. "Before any of that, pay up." The old man said to the others at the table. "Now."Transfers were made, and the man took Dean aside as the arguments at the table were getting more heated. "I am an old man as you can see. And you have made my night. You have saved my pride." He said. "These men you see here will always look at me differently now. They will treat me with more respect for the few years I have left."Dean did not know how to respond to that, so he said nothing. "Take the ten million as an appreciation for helping me save face." The man said, smiling. "You invested that money and got great returns this night. So it's all yours, you owe me nothing."Dean felt his head spin, this could not be real. "Don't look like that. I will sign some documents to the effect if you want. The ten million is a gift and all you won this night is from your investment with that money." The man said. He dipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew a gold card. "All the money is in here. The password is 1944, my birth year. You can transfer all the money to any account of your choice." The man explained. It was all a lot for Dean to take in. And more still, he wondered if this man was not trying to play tricks on him. Somehow though he felt he could trust the man.He accepted the card. The man stared at him, and then patted his shoulder again. "You remind me of my younger self." He said. Then before Dean could think of a reply, he added. "Go on now. I will handle things here. The casino owners may give you trouble though, so take care"Dean hurriedly left. He walked with the card deep in his pocket. It was almost midnight now but he still found an ATM machine. One hundred and eight million dollars sat in the account. Dean felt like he was dreaming. He had never seen so much money in his entire life.He was completely stunned and felt numb. He was very reluctant to leave the ATM. He had an irrational fear that the money would disappear. But he finally did.He withdrew a little sum of money and took a taxi to the nearest port. The water was where Dean felt the most at peace. He paid for a cabin in one of the docked ships. Then he had a good shave and a wash. He could not eat too much because of his nerves. All his hunger from earlier was gone. After a restless night, he stood up early to prepare for a trip to the bank the next morning. An attendant doing his rounds almost bumped into him at the door."Did you enjoy your stay sir?" He asked."Yes. I did." Dean responded. "Hey, hurry up! We need your help at the back." A young boy called out to the attendant and disappeared round the corner."What was that?" Dean asked.The attendant smiled and apologized. "We send some items from here to our shipping company. I often help out." He explained."Hmmm" Dean said as an idea formed in his head.He hurried off to the bank. His money was still intact. He checked the transfer limit for the card and it was higher than the sum in his account. For that, he was grateful. If he had to go inside the banking halls, he was certain he would have attracted scrutiny and even embarrassment. He transferred the money into his personal account. He headed to his bank to make a sizable withdrawal. But when he got there he realized his account had been frozen. He was confused. Why will they do that?He went up into the bank hall to speak with customer service.The woman sitting behind a monitor gave him a scrutinizing look. She squeezed her nose in disgust. "How may we help you today?" She asked in a harsh tone."I want to check the status of my account." Dean said. "Name?""Dean Connor.""Take a seat over there. I'll call you soon." She gestured to one of the waiting chairs lined against a wall.Dean did as he was told. The people he passed on the queue stepped away as if he was some bug that could stain or infect them."Are you blind? You almost stepped on my shoe." A young girl who did not look older than twenty screamed at him as he tried to take a seat. "I'm sorry." Dean said. He knew he had been nowhere close to her shoes, but he was avoiding trouble. Her outfit looked expensive and she looked like one of those rich kids.He took the seat beside her.She stood up quickly as if her seat had begun to burn. "Could you not find anywhere else to sit?" She shrieked angrily. Everyone in the banking hall was staring at them now. "All the seats are taken as you can see." Dean said with a polite smile."Are you calling me blind?" She asked. "If the seats are taken, go stand somewhere. You cannot sit close to me."Dean mentally weighed the choices he had. Again he chose peace. So he stood up and went to stand in a corner.One hour passed and he was still standing, completely unattended to.
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The rule of three I'll take your offer
Dean walked back to the desk of the customer service personnel. She frowned as she saw him walking towards her. "You have still not called out to me." Dean said with a polite smile."Exactly. So I wonder why you are here." She said angrily. "I will call you when I have answers for you." Dean went back to his spot and continued standing. Another forty minutes had passed when a security guard of the bank came to stand before him."You cannot be here. Please take a seat." He said. Dean glanced back to where he had been sitting. The rich kid was no longer there, but all the seats were taken."There are no vacant seats." He said, turning to look down at the security guard."But you cannot stand loitering here." The guard responded with a frown. "I am not loitering. I am waiting for a response from her." Dean said, turning to point to the customer service agent. He was shocked to find that the queue was gone. The woman was even having an idle chat with her colleague. Dean felt anger b
The rule of three Mrs Valencia
The woman smiled back at him sadly. "You know it has never been about money. We only authorize adoption to stable married couples." She said. "I understand that. But can't you make any exceptions? You have known me for years. You know I will treat Alanna right." Dean said "I do. But she needs the love of a mother just like she does a father." The woman explained. Dean felt defeated. He had heard all these before. That was why he and Leilani had been putting in extra time at their work so they could save up and get married quickly. Till that ugly incident happened and he went to jail and Leilani abandoned them.He really wished they had taken Alanna to some other orphanage. These religious ones took propriety seriously. Would he have to just find a random woman and marry her? He could afford to do that now, with all this money. But he did not want to give Alanna a bad mother. He stood up. "I'll come see her tomorrow." He announced and left after saying goodbye to Alanna.It was
The rule of three A private investigator
Dean took her in and sat with her till she did not look as faint anymore. About an hour later, she still looked weak but she was ready to talk.She told him all she knew. The last person who saw Leilani saw her at the scene of the murder incident. After that she seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Mrs Valencia explained how she visited the police station every single day in the first three years for an update and got nothing. It seemed like the cops were not doing anything. "Two things have kept me going." She said, looking at Dean. "I have a feeling she is still alive. And I also have a feeling her disappearance is connected to that incident. If I find out it's true, I will dedicate the rest of my days to seeking revenge." Dean was speechless. All this information was so much to take in."Some people think I am crazy to hope that she is still alive. But I am her mother, I know she is alive somewhere. I feel it." Mrs Valencia said."It just kills me to think she may be suff
The rule of three Leilani
"Leilani and I had been dating for three years and engaged for eight months when this trouble began." Dean began explaining. He took his first sip from the glass, the whisky with ice burned nicely at the back of his throat. "She said a certain young heir had a great interest in her. He came to the place she worked as a receptionist one day, and fell madly for her. I don't blame him. Leilani is extraordinarily beautiful, smart and kind." "I see." Jean said."But he began pestering her. First he brought gifts and offered to change her financial status. When Leilani turned all of it down, he resorted to more dangerous measures."Jean was listening keenly. All his attention was on Dean."We believe he was behind an allegation at Leilani's workplace that almost cost her her job." Dean explained as he sat up. He took another gulp from his drink. "And as expected this guy swooped in like a superhero and saved the day.""Who is this man?" Jean asked. Dean looked at Jean for a while before
The rule of three The captive
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The rule of three Dangerous Vipers
Dean could not wait any longer. So he stood up and marched into the orphanage. There he saw her, both of them. Già Rossano and Alanna. It made his blood run cold to see Alanna so close to someone from a family of dangerous vipers.He would do everything to stop this adoption from happening. Alanna spied him, and he saw her face change literally. She lit up with joy and moved around Già to run towards him. Dean felt his heart tighten with gratitude. He bent to pick her up as she ran into his arms, and twirled her around. Alanna shrieked with delight. He hugged her briefly before setting her down again."How are you doing?" He asked."I'm fine, thank you." Alanna responded, smiling up at him.Dean could not help but smile back. Leilani would be so happy if she ever saw this. Alanna had grown up to be a polite, beautiful girl the way she had always envisioned. "I got something for you." He said, handing her the big stuffed pink teddy that had been stuck under his arm. Alanna shri
The rule of three Talk around town
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The rule of three The office tour
Dean stepped out and tipped the driver generously. He saw a woman leaning against a fancy car waiting for him."Jessica Bordeaux?" He asked as he walked towards her. "Yes. You are late." She said, accepting his outstretched hand in a handshake. She was wearing a blue suit and nude-coloured shirt. The sunglasses she wore concealed her eyes, and her dark hair was long and thick and fell to her waist.She led him to the building and softly opened the door."My sales partner is not here today. But she will be with us at the next appointment when we check out other buildings." Jessica Bordeaux said finally taking off her glasses. She had beautiful brown eyes."I only have high scale properties on my list today, I hope you enjoy the tour." She said.Dean did not miss the look in her eyes, despite her effort to be polite. He could see that she thought this meeting was a waste of time.He was not wearing any fancy clothes and did not show up in a fancy car. He had arrived in a public dusty
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Leilani crouched low. Despite the painkillers, despite the fact that she'd lost the baby for days now, her belly still cramped painfully.She winced as she turned to her side on the bed.Her nurse was busy watching television, ignoring her completely. The woman hated her gut now. No one found out that the nurse had been drugged, the monster thought she was careless and punished her severely. She hated Leilani for this and was extra high handed with her.Leilani silently watched her now. The nurse turned suddenly. “Lost something?” She frowned angrily. “Why are you staring?”Leilani winced as her belly twisted again. “I need painkillers. My belly hurts.” She managed to get out. The nurse scoffed at her and looked away. Leilani closed her eyes as the pain enveloped her body. She should have known the woman would not help. She clutched the bed sheet and clenched as the pain coursed through her body and seized her thigh, back and pelvis in a vicious grip. When the pain dropped again
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“A serving for five this evening. Everyone will be home.” Florenza said to the cook.“Yes ma'am.” The cook responded.Florenza wanted to say something, but she hesitated and kept quiet. She walked out of the kitchen and hurried upstairs. The maids looked away when they saw her coming. Florenza pressed her lips together. They blamed her for what happened. She saw it in their eyes. They all acted coldly towards her, and two more people had resigned.She went back upstairs to Alanna, and they continued their lessons. At least, the child was her usual warm and friendly self around her. She wondered how the child would treat her though if she knew and understood what happened.She doubted she would remain this friendly if she did.She had not had one good night's sleep since she heard that scream and gunshot. Her guilt became worse when Rhoda went missing. In her heart, she knew something bad had happened to her, but she did not want to believe it.Perhaps the girl had decided to resi
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Dean sighed. Not again, Not today!He maintained a calm expression though, and walked around her to open his front door. He had forgotten how persistent Lyda can be. He should have known she would not back off easily. He went in, she followed him and closed the door behind. He hoped she would not try any of that seduction trick today. He went to the room and confirmed the painting was still hanging on the wall. “What do you want Lyda?” He said as he stepped out. She looked calm, not as distressed as she did yesterday. “Why did you not tell me you were leaving for another woman?” She asked.“What?”“I worried something was wrong with me.” She said dropping her purse on a nearby couch. “I really thought something was seriously wrong with me, that is why you could not like me even though you were single and straight.” Dean kept looking at her.“Why did you
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“Callaso.” Jasper responded. “Do you know him?” “I cannot be sure yet.” Dean said, as he sent a quick text to the cops in charge of Rob's case. When he looked up, Jasper was looking at him with a strange expression. “You look good. You look really good.” He said in wonder. Dean shook his head and smiled sadly. Then he launched into a long explanation, bringing Jasper up to speed with everything that had happened to him so far. The more he told, the more incredulous Jasper looked. Dean tried to hurry through the details as fast as he could. There was a time limit to every prison visit. Jasper had both hands supporting his chin by the time Dean was done. Dean sat back and watched his reaction. He understood it to some extent. He believed the reason he had not freaked out yet was because he had not had a peaceful moment to really think about it. Everything had moved fast since that night he got ou
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Dean stepped back as if he had been slapped. He looked at Lyda's face, moist with tears. But he felt no pity. “That is not love. You were selfish. You lied because you were only thinking about yourself.” He shouted angrily. How could she claim to love him when she did not even know the most basic quality of love. How could someone as selfish as she was, claim to love him?He chose her because he needed her help. That was selfish. He could never claim he loved her. She brought in benefits and he compensated her adequately.“Do you understand that our marriage is null?” He asked, remembering what Jean had told him. “Our marriage was never recognized because you were married to another.” He ran his hands through his hair as the full implication of this hit him. He would never have been able to adopt Alanna, even if he had beat Già to apply first.They would have verified, found out his mar
Null marriage
“I know it's none of my business, but it came up in one of these investigations.” The private investigator said. It's confusing how you have a wife and then a fiance.”“It's not what you think.” Dean said, and explained the situation of things. Jean sighed and shook his head. “Alanna is fine. Just not in school yet.”“You're sure? How do you know?” Dean asked. Jean looked at him with a frown. “Of course, It's your job to know.” Dean said, feeling stupid. “I am just surprised they would take good care of her. You know by now how evil that family is.” “They have no reason to hurt her. She is important for Luke's campaign.” Jean replied. Dean paused. “Wait. You mean there is a chance Leilani and Alanna are in the same house?” He asked, as he got an idea.“I can go there under the pretext of going to visit Alanna.”Jean looked angry, and Dean
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Rob looked from Dean to the cop. Then he looked down at his hands. It seemed he was contemplating whether to reveal this big secret or not.“There was a ring tucked into a seat in the truck. Some drops of blood too.” Rob said. Dean felt his whole body go cold. “Blood?”“Yes. A few drops.”“Did you report this to the cops?” The cop asked. “No.”Dean lost it and punched him again. This bastard! It would have been so much easier to find Leilani if only he had spoken up when this happened. “I did not want to get in trouble. When I asked Charles he said to burn the note and mind my business.”“What note?” Dean and the cop asked in unison. “A note was tucked in the ring.” Rob said hesitantly. This was getting even worse. Was this man simply a dumb idiot who only knew how to hit women, or was plain selfish and could only think of saving his neck.
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Dean got off his zoom meeting with the celebrity with a smile. He had finally secured her contract with Ally.It had not been difficult. Just like he had predicted, she had been ecstatic at the fact that the CEO contacted her. The offer was also too juicy for any sane person to reject. Now, looking at the signed contract on his desktop, he could breathe a sigh of relief. There were currently no loopholes for competitors like Patel to infiltrate through.Things were finally beginning to take shape. If things continued like this, he would be rounding up all his goals soon. Now if only he would at least get an update about Leilani. He was beginning to worry more. This was taking longer than he had ever expected. As if on cue, his phone rang. It was the private investigator calling.“We’ve narrowed the search down to the driver.” Jean Akio said as soon as the call connected. He sounded
Two more mintues
Leilani watched her nurse clear the dishes away, and tried to convince herself about things that were not true. If she believed these things, she could play the pretending act well.She acted like today was a normal day, and the plates her nurse was taking away didn't contain her final approval for her escape plan to happen today. She felt like a duck on water, calm and serene on the outside and frantically paddling underneath the water in distress. She had no idea how she was going to spend the day pretending to be calm. She was bursting with anxiety. She hugged her still flat belly, hoping to draw comfort from her baby. She was mostly making this escape for this baby. She could not just sit and let them sell her child in some black market like a common slab of meat.“One day I would tell you about this sacrifice I am making just to keep you safe.” She whispered to her sixteen weeks old foetus, caressing her stomach. “Don't get too attached to that thing.” Her nurse said, start
