“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
Miriam’s parents were assassinated when she was only 12 years old in her presence. Luckily for her, the killers did not hurt her but even as a little girl, she realized that something was common among them all - the same tattoo of an owl with sharp claws and a sword striking it very closely but prevented by a shield. The last time she had seen the image since Dexter showed it to her was when her parents were assassinated. She had always been on the lookout for that image though. She believed that it was the key to finding out parents’ killers but she just might have found her first clue. The Kazitanis group had to have something to do with her parents’ death, she thought.“Does it ring a bell to you?” Dexter asked again. She had better told him if she knew what it meant. It would help him understand more what he was dealing with but ultimately it might just make him more insecure than he already was.“No, no,” Miriam denied. “I know nothing about this but I appreciate every informat
Paul’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “What is it Grandpa?” He asked. He had always wanted to know more about Miriam and when he thought he had known something tangible about her, there always seemed to be something more left to be known.“Oh, chill, don't be too serious, it……” Grandpa Leonard responded but was cut short by a long streak of labored cough. His dry chest was rattled as he let out the painful cough.“Grandpa, you need to take care of yourself better,” he said, offering him a glass of water that he received from the driver. “I have received some reports that you are slacking in taking your medications.”“Reports?” Grandpa Leonard asked, his eyes opened in surprise.“Of course. Did you think that I would not have had the contacts of some of your guards to get information on how you are faring? Of course, the fact that I am now the head of one of the largest syndicates in the world doesn't mean that I would forget you.”“That is so good of you, my boy,” Grandpa Leonard remark
He soon widened his eyes in surprise when he found out that there was blood on his hands.Shit! Was it from his body? Was it Grandpa’s blood. It was quite dark but he angled his gaze toward Grandpa Leonard’s stomach and saw that the area was thick and melted. “Sir, we would have to help you out of there slowly is that alright,” the paramedic informed him, a small torchlight was on his hand.“You have to help my Grandpa, he seems to be bleeding,” Paul said nervously. He was still not yielding to the paramedic’s request to leave the crashed vehicle.“Sir, we will help you. That's why we are here but we need you to give us your arm so that we can lift you out of there. It's not safe for you in there,” another paramedic explained.The vehicle was in a destructive state with the roof pressed inwards and glass pieces shattered all over the ground.Paul realized that one of the glass pieces was stuck inside Grandpa Leonard’s body and that was what made him bleed.“You have to help him. He h
The EMTs looked at each other without talking but their demeanor showed a sense of defeat.“Let's use the defibrillator,” one of the EMTs pressured, not willing to give up on the poor man lying on the stretcher.“It's over man, we lost him. It would have been a miracle if he had survived. Now we have to look forward to the condition of the other two,” an EMT responded, referring to Paul and Grandpa Leonard.They all slumped their head in defeat, their eyes hanging low as they gritted their teeth. **Meanwhile, Paul was lying still in an hospital bed after the accident. His eyes were heavy and he had his vision a little blurred. His breathing was shallow and his mind was clouded with a host of thoughts.What could be going on with his grandpa? ‘What was today’s date again?’ he questioned himself. Perhaps he should write it down to remember it as the day that he lost his grandpa.No! Not today, another voice flushed into his mind. He started recalling how his mother died in a hospital
“What?! Are you asking me to excuse you? Who are you to tell me to excuse you? I am bringing to your notice something which you should take into consideration but you are too shallow to understand,” Mr. Timber fumed.“Sir, I have no problem with you. I just….” the nurse said but Mr. Timber interrupted her.“I have no problem with you either but I assure you that you will regret the day you were born if you bring up a reason why I should have a problem with you.”The nurse retracted her gaze away from Mr. Timber in a manner that seemed like she had succumbed. She really didn't want to annoy Mr. Timber. She was just an ordinary nurse on an average pay - why would she want to lock horns with someone from one of the richest families around?“Apologies Sir,” she uttered, bowing her head slightly.“I forgive you. I am sure you don’t know quite well who you were talking with and that is why you had the guts to ask that I excuse you,” Mr. Timber said, his shoulder rising in a pompous manner.
“How dare you assume that I would be jealous of you? Are you trying to turn this around and make yourself look like someone who isn't an idiot? You really have the guts to tell me to keep quiet. I will show you what it means for a cleaner and errand boy to talk back at someone like me.”Mr. Timber was clearly angry but he was still not done processing what Paul told him. Had they really divorced? Who was Sarah now pregnant for? He tried to crack his brain so that he could identify her suitors but it could be any of them.He thought of calling Sarah many times to woo her one last time but she always made up one excuse or the other as to why they couldn't even go on a date. Mr. Timber had always assumed that Paul was the reason for his constant rejection from Sarah.“Since you have not learned your lesson, you will….” Mr. Timber paused and then turned over to the nurse. “Excuse us, nurse,” he asked.“And why would I do that Sir, I came here to help Paul today. If I miss his chance, we m
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