As Jeremy steered his car along the winding road that led home, his mind raced with possible scenarios for breaking the news to Avery. He knew he had to tell her the truth, but the thought of her anger and disappointment made his stomach churn."Avery, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he muttered under his breath, trying out a possible opener. He winced at the insufficiency of the words, knowing they wouldn't begin to make amends.He considered other possibilities, but each one seemed more feeble than the last, unable to convey the depth of his remorse."Avery, there's something I've been keeping from you, and it's been eating away at me.""I know I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid of how you'd react.""I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark. I never wanted to hurt you like this.""I made a mistake, Avery, and I take full responsibility for it. I hope you can forgive me.""I know this might be hard to hear, but I have to be honest with you.Jeremy pulled into the drive
"Avery!" Jeremy called after her, his voice echoing through the room. But Avery was already too upset, and she refused to stop."I need some time to myself," she declared, her voice thick with emotion. But before she could walk away, she saw Mia approaching, her innocent eyes full of curiosity. With lightning speed, Avery wiped the tears from her eyes, forcing a smile for her daughter's sake.Mia's eyes were filled with concern as she looked up at her mother. "Mummy, is everything okay?" she asked, her voice a gentle whisper.Avery forced another smile, her voice quivering with emotion. "Everything's fine, my darling," she said. "Just go to your room and pack some things. We're going on a little vacation, just the two of us."Mia's face lit up at the prospect of a holiday. "With Daddy too?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement."No, sweetheart," Avery replied, her voice softening as she smoothed Mia's hair. "Just you and me. Daddy's got a new job, and he'll be very busy for a w
"You incompetent fool!" Martin Kaiden roared, his face contorted in a mask of fury. "How dare you send such bumbling idiots to carry out our orders?"Edward Baron cowered before him, his head bowed low as he pleaded for mercy. "I-I'm so sorry, sir. They were among our best. I don't know what went wrong."Martin walked towards Edward, his rage a tangible force in the air. With a brutal hand, he slapped Edward's face, the sound echoing through the room."That," Martin hissed, his eyes blazing with anger, "is what went wrong."Edward's hand rose to his stinging cheek, his body shaking with a mixture of fear and shame. "I beg your forgiveness, boss," he stammered, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I won't fail you again."Martin loomed over him, his voice cold and full of threat. "There won't be a next time, Edward," he warned, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "I expect results, not excuses.""How am I supposed to face my grandfather after this failure?" Martin Kaiden sneered, the scorn in
The secret agent tasked with the surveillance of Jeremy's family moved swiftly as he observed Avery's departure from their residence. Her tension was obvious, her movements hurried as she climbed into her car and sped away.The agent, adhering to the instructions given to him by Jeremy, discreetly followed behind Avery's Car, maintaining a safe distance while keeping her in his line of sight to make sure she was safe.The agent observed as Avery pulled into the parking lot of a nearby hospital, his curiosity piqued. She emerged from her car in a flurry, rushing towards the hospital entrance. Minutes later, Avery reappeared, followed by two nurses as they helped to escort a visibly ill Jeremy into the building.The agent's gaze remained fixed on the unfolding scene, a flurry of questions racing through his mind. "What's wrong with the young master?" he wondered, his surveillance now taking on a more urgent and delicate nature.With haste, the agent reached for his phone and dialed Jeff
The first attacker moved forward, his knife shining in the dim light. Jefferson quickly kicked him, making him fall to the ground. The other attackers jumped forward, but Jefferson was prepared.Jefferson moved quickly and smoothly, avoiding the attacks with ease. He struck back with precise and powerful blows, despite his age.Jefferson quickly punched one agent's jaw, making him fall to the ground. Then, he kicked another agent's knee, making him unable to move.The remaining Kaiden men circled Jefferson, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and rage. But they weren't ready to give up, and the fight raged on.Without hesitation, Jefferson leaped into the air, his leg transforming into a deadly weapon.The two Kaiden men who remained on their feet were caught off guard by Jefferson's sudden attack, their faces contorted in surprise as his kick connected with brutal force.The men fell to the ground with a loud thud, their bodies collapsing from the force of Jefferson's hit."Tell y
As a torrent of cold water rushed over him, Jefferson gasped, his eyes fluttering open to reveal a blurry, unfamiliar room. He felt the sting of a slap across his cheek, the sharp pain snapping him into full awareness."Ah, our guest awakens," a voice intoned from the shadows, the words dripping with mockery. As Jefferson's vision cleared, he made out the smiling face of Edward Baron, "Who would ever thought the mighty Jefferson who trained us on how to become heroes will one day be at my mercy," Edward Baron mocked.Ignoring the throbbing pain in his head, Jefferson replied with a wry smile, "And yet, here you are, reduced to Martin's lapdog. Seems like your life has been a series of unfortunate failures, Edward."Edward's eyes narrowed, his smile morphing into a tight-lipped scowl. "Oh, you'll regret that remark, Jefferson. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll be begging for death."Despite the chill that ran through Jefferson's body at Edward's words, he remained unflinching
The door swung open, revealing Martins. His eyes swept over the bloody scene, lingering on the crumpled form of Jefferson before turning to Edward."You were supposed to keep him alive," Martins growled, his voice like a steel blade.Edward swallowed hard, his hand still gripping his weapon as he met Martins' steely gaze. "I'm sorry, sir. He wouldn't talk."Martins' eyes narrowed. "Do you know what he means to the Nathaniel family?"Edward shifted uneasily under Martins' piercing stare, his mouth suddenly dry. "I...I was just trying to do what was necessary, sir."Martins let out a low, mirthless chuckle. "Necessary? You have no idea what's necessary, do you? Do you think torturing him is going to make him talk? You're nothing more than a brute with no subtlety."Edward winced, the sting of Martins' words hitting him harder than any blow he'd delivered to Jefferson.Martins turned away from Edward, his eyes once again resting on the battered body of Jefferson. "Strip him down and secu
In a flash, Martins quickly hid behind a nearby table to protect himself from the bullets flying everywhere. Bullets rained down around him, the sound of gunfire mingling with the shouts of the Nathaniel Special Forces."Kaiden scum!" one of the agents bellowed, charging forward with a battle cry.Martins shot back, his bullets flying everywhere as he tried to protect himself against the swarm of attackers.The room became a scene of chaos and confusion. The Nathaniel Special Forces moved in on Martins, who fought back with all his might, like a trapped animal. But he was outnumbered and outgunned.Two of his men lay lifeless in their pool of blood and the rest were wounded from the open fire. The agents kept coming, and Martins took a hit with each shot. He was running out of bullets and no one to protect him. In a last-ditch effort, Martins jumped from behind the table and made a final charge, straight into the rain of gunfire, he was shot on his leg.Martins fell to the ground ble