Sarah Winston was tired and worn out already. She had gone through a whole lot in just one day.She left the store without having any further discussion with Paul - she had seen enough of him and wasn't sure if he still had it in mind to humiliate her some more.Now, she had to face her family. The same family that had betrayed her for leaking their secrets.Her phone soon rang out in her bag. She was too tired to do anything - not even to pick her call. She walked in the streets alone instead of boarding a taxi because she wanted to feel the fresh air - she wanted the fresh air to sink inside her brain. Perhaps that would help her make more sense of how cruel her family had treated her.She finally picked up the phone before it rang out. “Hello, Mrs. Winston. It's me, Rico, the gardener of your family manor. I know it is weird that I am calling you but I think you should avoid coming for the family meeting if it is possible to avoid it.”Sarah raised her eyebrow in wonder. “Why do sa
Sarah felt a deep sadness as the harsh words hit her and her chest tightened. “If you all feel that I betrayed you. I promise, I didn’t. You all would have done the same if you were in my shoes,” Sarah defended herself, her voice breaking with agony.“Really? I doubt I would betray my family like that. We are all in trouble because of what you released to the press. How dare you tell them that we forced Paul to sign a divorce agreement with you,” Frank Winston’s face was contorted with rage as he slammed the table loudly prompting a simultaneous startle among those seated close to him.“You even have the guts to write a statement to the press to confirm your stupid confessions. Can't you see how Jude was hesitant to give information? Why can't you be smart enough to do the same?”There was definitely a pressure building inside of Frank as those words came out of his mouth.“You also had the guts to tell the whole world that we framed Paul for a Ponzi scheme. You think you can exonera
“Just say that you want to get back with Paul. You still miss your ex, don't you?” Janet’s cheek flushed with spite and her body language was arrogant as she spewed those words. “Aww, such a shame. I always knew you both were the best match. Poverty thrives well with delusion and you are the proper Ms. Delusional.”Sarah ignored Janet again. She knew that Janet’s aim was to get into her nerves. She wouldn't give her that privilege.“You know. I am beginning to wonder how a woman could have such poor taste in men. Are you really that bad?” Janet continued, her expression remained smug. “I am beginning to wonder if that child in your belly is Jude’s or Paul.”“Shut up!” Sarah snapped, her body ablaze with fury this time. Janet sure knew how to get to her nerves. “I will squeeze you to death if you insult me again.”“You really want to kill your sister?” Lady Winston entered the conversation. “How wicked of you, Sarah. How wicked!”“Mum, I am sure that you saw how she insulted me all the
“Well…” Miriam paused a bit before answering but was stopped in her tracks when a vehicle driving past splashed water on both Paul and Miriam, leaving their clothes messed up.It was a rainy day but at the time it happened, there was only a drizzle enough for people to walk about without having to use umbrellas.“Damn!” Miriam exclaimed. She was soaked to the bone and her clothes were drenched with the splashing water. She seemed to have suffered more from the incident compared to Paul who only had the side of his pants stained with water.The mud water even reached her neck area, leaving her completely disoriented.“What the hell! Why don't you watch where you are going,” Paul raised his voice toward the man who was driving.Macaulay, the man driving, parked his expensive car to a corner and alighted to access the situation. “So sorry darling. I didn't know that I had stepped into a ditch,” he wrung his hands apologetically.Paul was still visibly upset. “You should watch where you
Miriam angled her gaze towards Paul and smiled. Paul knew exactly what plan she had in mind. He knew that she was smart and was indirectly giving Macauley just the kind of humiliation that he deserved.Macauley’s eyes widened in excitement. He was finally getting what he wanted. He loved to proof to a woman how much power, money and influence he had. “Now you are talking. Tell me how I can be of help, darling,” he uttered.“I don't want jewelry or bags or anything of that sort though,” she said, making a pretty face. “Just tell me what you want. As long as it can finally get you to back to your senses and make you see exactly why you shouldn't roll with men like the one you have beside you, I am ready to fulfil any request.”Paul just folded his arm beside Miriam, an unknowing look on his face.“That's a pet store over there and I have always wanted to buy a Tibetan Mastiff,” Miriam said as she batted her eyelashes, her face beaming with poise.“Oh! Interesting. I could buy you the
Paul and Miriam soon got to Bivas group, one of the companies under the Imperial Society Syndicate. They wanted to make sure that the Kazitanis informants working under the syndicate were rooted out but they needed to start from somewhere. Getting one of the informants would go a long way into finding the others. They knew how dangerous the Kazitanis were especially since the moment they kidnapped Ms. Olivia’s daughter. It was absurd to Paul that evil people would be working in his syndicate and operating undercover.Miriam and Paul had made a shortlist of employees who had to be vetted. Many of them were in the production department. If counterfeit products were being transported, the production department had to be questioned.They were very serious about the massive cleaning that needed to be done at the Imperial Society Syndicate.Miriam was appointed by Paul to conduct the investigations. She wore a deep blue suit which was tailored to perfection and accentuating her crisp figur
“Ms. Zendaya. I accept that you got me but I need you to understand that the things I want to tell you could be way to dangerous.”“Dangerous?” Miriam asked, her eyeballs wide open. “How so?”“I am a family man. I have a wife and two kids. I do not want to lose them,” Dexter responded.“I understand what it means to have people you want to protect so badly. In fact, I know what it is like to lose people you love. I wouldn't want that to happen to you and that is why I am giving you my word once again that you and your family would be protected.”Dexter’s shoulder tensed and his expression was one of disbelief. “Ms. Zendaya, I would need you draft an agreement which would be signed by the both of us to that effect.”“A contract?” Ms. Zendaya asked with surprise written all over her face. What would she not encounter with this Dexter of a man?“Yes, Ma. A contract where you will write that my home would be assigned with at least two trained security agents from the company and one perso
“Oh, take it easy, man. Your company is just one of the companies under the Imperial Society Syndicate and I was assigned by the CEO of the syndicate to take over investigations. I can't believe how unnecessarily jittery you are. It will lead you to fall into serious mistakes in the future.”Miriam looked like she had had enough of the man. “Now, continue please.”“Alright Ms. Zendaya. I notice that there is a connection of evil doers in the production department. They scare and threaten those who are not in their association like me. They usually take the beverages to a hidden place after production.”“What is this hidden place?” Miriam asked curiously.“I am not sure but it's like a site or a tunnel. I have never been there of course but whatever they do in that tunnel is definitely not good news,” Dexter revealed.“The other day, I was eavesdropping and I heard two of them talking about how the new instruction from their bosses was that they should apply a certain substance into th
Paul who was darting from side to side in confusion soon saw a figure in front of him. His ropes were cut off a lightning speed as he was escorted out of the hall by a figure.Paul gasped in shock when he saw the figure that had come to protect him.“Dane Michaelson?!” Paul gasped in surprise. “Is this you? What are you doing?”Dane Michaelson was Paul’s long-term friend and high schoolmate who had always been like a guardian angel to him. He always protected Paul from bullies when he was in high school and even had a young age, Dane Michaelson had impressive fighting skills that he used to defeat anyone who came across him to defy him or any of his friends. Paul learned a few fighting skills from Dane but their friendship was put to a halt when Dane had to travel far away for a scholarship. He promised that he was going to be back though and that he would always keep an eye on him.“I told you that I would be back for you, didn't I?” Dane spoke in a hurried tone, his words coming o
He didn’t want Grandpa Leonard to suffer more than he already had and he was feeling as though he should have done more to protect Grandpa Leonard.Grandpa Leonard was also tied with bonds to the wheelchair and his face was set in a mask of grim determination as he endured the agony, his eyes narrowed with focus against the torrent of pain.“I am the head of the Imperial Society Syndicate, not him,” Pail spoke, trying to defend Grandpa Leonard.“Son, do not worry about me. This is not the time to speak of vain things,” Grandpa Leonard spoke sternly as if to tell Paul not to worry about him.The Red Witch erupted in a burst of laughter that echoed through the hall, her expression twisted into a malicious smile as she took pleasure in her evil deeds. It brought her so much joy to see Paul and Grandpa Leonard sit side-by-side and have their faces contorted with grief.Her smile curved into a malicious grin as she turned towards Paul. “Long time, no see Paul Leonard. Don’t tell me that yo
Paul could hear their voices and it was mixed with laughter and merriment. The stench of alcohol filled the place and Paul was wondering if it was the same person that was tied to a chair that everyone was celebrating about.But there was something else that caught Paul’s interest. He kept hearing them call out a Red Witch. He had heard the word more than twice already since his eyes fluttered open and from the conversation that his ears were able to pick, it seemed as if the Red Witch wasn’t just an ordinary person.It could be one of their leaders, he thought. Or could it be the person that was assigned to kill him and render whatever punishment they had against him?Paul was suddenly shocked when he received a huge flow of water attacking him on his face. He spluttered and shuddered as his body shook violently, expelling the water from his lungs. His throat was constructed painfully as he tried to draw breath. He shook his face repeatedly so that the water could fall off his face a
Sarah couldn’t help but defend herself. She wasn’t just going to keep quiet and allow things to happen to her. She had to speak up and defend herself, she thought.“I brought the antidote that is now the reason why you are alive. I suffered a lot and risked a lot to get the antidote. I had an agreement with Janet, Frank, and Thomas but they haven’t told me anything,” Sarah stammered in panic, her words tumbling out rapidly as she tried to explain herself. “I don’t deserve this treatment and I don’t understand why you have to force me here as if I shouldn’t be one of the partakers of the good things of Winston Corporation. If you knew what I did to get the antidote for you, you probably wouldn’t be treating me this way. What else do I have to do to prove that I deserve my previous position back.”Janet retorted. “Liar! Liar! You cannot get your previous position back. You are a rotten piece of dirt!l Janet retorted.”Janet was always upset by the fact that Sarah was desperate to get h
Sarah’s voice was breaking because she wondered what she said that was wrong. “Y-e-s.”“What?!” Arianna fumed. “What exactly are you still doing at the inner chamber? You have already made the mistake of giving them the antidote but what business do you still have there?”“I just think that maybe they would—-” Sarah’s voice was breaking with tension.Arianna spoke over her in a loud frothing. “You think what exactly? What exactly do you think? Are you still delusional enough to think that Lady Winston would give you the requests that you asked for?”Arianna’s tone was insistent and her expression furious as she rendered a warning. “What exactly are you still there for when they have already shown you the writing on the wall? Oh my goodness!”“You had better start running away from there because if the history of your family’s wickedness is anything to go by, then it won’t be long until they arrest you and even do much worse to you than they wanted to do before. Do you think Lady Winst
Arianna’s voice was tinged with a hint of unease as she tried to communicate her fears. “Doctor Lopez? Wait, don’t tell me that you tried to get the antidote from him to help Lady Winston.”Sarah bit her lips again because she didn’t know how to answer the question. “That’s exactly what I did,” she finally spoke out.“My goodness!” Arianna spoke out loud, her voice ringing with a loud echo from the phone as she conveyed her disappointment. “I thought that Paul already gave you a new and improved job. What happened that would make you go back to the same mess that you were coming from.”“I just couldn’t find it comfortable there. I couldn’t stop thinking about Winston Corporation. I thought that I felt at home at Winston Corporation,” Sarah attempted to justify herself, her voice faltering because she realized the fault in her argument.“Can you even listen to yourself?” Arianna seethed, her voice rising with a cold anger and tinged with disappointment. “You are somehow trying to justi
“Do you really think that I will listen to her deceits? She has seen that Paul can do no good for her and now she wants to return to where she made a life. Oh, how foolish does she think we would be.”“In any case, I am glad that she came right into our hands because now she will get the punishment that she escaped narrowly before. Who would have thought that she would come right under our nose so easily for us to dismantle her.”Janet's cheek flushed with happiness as she smiled brightly, her eyes shining with excitement.Of course, neither she nor her brothers had the intention of fulfilling the pact that they had with Sarah. They were all trying to get the antidote and now that Lady Winston was back in a healthy condition, they could do away with Sarah. In fact, Frank and Thomas especially were expecting Lady Winston not to suspend the punishment that she had earlier placed on her.“Come to think of it. Where is she now? Where did she go? “ Lady Winston asked. They all turned the
She recalled that she had forgotten the gun that Arianna gave to her in Doctor Lopez’s office. That gun was the evidence that was going to stand against her if Doctor Lopez died. Her mind started reeling with desperate thoughts. What if she had committed murder all for nothing? Was she going to lose on both ends? How long was she going to keep foolishly trusting her family to back her up and then proving that they were always going to stab her in the back?An investigation was going to be carried out into what happened with Doctor Lopez, she reasoned. They were going to trace it to her and tell Paul about it. She couldn't imagine how disgusted Paul was going to feel to learn that she had betrayed him even much more intentionally this time.The inner chamber had high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings. The walls were lined with tapestries and brilliant decorations conveying a sense of power and prestige. Frank and Thomas led Lady Winston until she reclined on a sumptuous chair
Lady Winston soon spoke, her words drowned with fatigue and her speech slow and deliberate as she feigned an extra bit of tiredness. “Hello everyone. I appreciate that you have all come here to witness this moment. I appreciate all those whose prayers and thoughts have been with me.”“But as you can see, I am recovering from a very delicate condition that would require that I have a long rest so I will be accompanied by my family - Frank, Thomas, Estevan, and Janet who I am sure must have been working day and night to ensure that I am back to normalcy.”The employees all erupted in applause, their faces contorted with nervousness as they gradually returned to their duty posts.Sarah’s expression was glazed, her eyes unfocused and her mouth hanging slightly open as she stared blankly, her features slack with confusion. Her haze was disoriented as she stared back and forth, her expression clouded with confusion and uncertainty. The applause was like a torment to her because it was cons