ITALY“Get the private jet ready, Martins. We’re going to Italy.”The Grand Diamond Hotel was a world famous hotel located in the heart of Rome. With its modern, luxurious facilities, It could easily boast of being one of the best hotels in Italy. The hotel’s underground luxury club was a place where Italian big dogs gathered frequently. Ranging from drug barons to Dons and masters of the illegal art world, everyone who was someone in the underground crime syndicate frequented the club. And that was exactly where Alex hoped he would meet Don Francesco Carmine.Don Carmine was rumoured to be the most successful peddler of forged art in Italy. Not only could his artworks pass for the real deal, he’d also successfully stolen valuable artworks from museums, made replicas of them and then returned the original and sold the forged duplicates for millions of dollars. He was intelligent. He was crafty. He was a thief – he was exactly the type of criminal Alex expected Derek Hunter to get
“I want the money in my account before we proceed with any plans.” Carmine blurted, waving his gun in the air like a lunatic.Alex, on the other hand, remained calm.“All I need is your account details and the money will be wired to you immediately. Martins, note down the Don’s account details and forward it to my accountant immediately.”Martin obliged. For the next tense, silent seconds, the transaction was made and they all waited for Carmine to receive the money. A few moments later, a phone’s beep pierced the stiff atmosphere. Carmine whipped out his phone and stared at it for a few seconds, unable to believe his eyes. He slowly looked up at Alex, blinking at him like he’d fallen from the sky.“You were not joking.” He murmured in disbelief. “Two hundred million dollars.”Alex shrugged.“I am a man of my word, Carmine. But the real question is, are you? It’s your turn to fulfil your half of the deal.”“I can’t believe this.” Carmine muttered as he slowly took his seat. “Two hund
The crowd was frozen. All the guests stared at Blakely with stunned expressions. Meanwhile, Blakely lifted her chin, her eyes shining with pride.“Are you all surprised?” She asked, her voice as soft as silk. “Oh, don’t be. Our engagement was done hush hush. My fiancé is so in love with me that he couldn't even wait to organise a proper engagement party.”The women whispered amongst themselves, their voices laced with jealousy.“I can’t believe he’s taken.” One of the guests muttered sadly, “and I had my eyes on him. He’s so handsome.”“Ugh, forget the fact that they’re engaged and just take a look at her.” Meredith, Hunter Technlogy’s receptionist sneered. “What exactly does she have that we don’t? She’s not even that pretty and she has absolutely zero class. Alex made a terrible choice.”Her friends nodded in agreement. The truth was, both women were well aware of the fact that Blakely outshined them in both the beauty and sophistication department. They were just bitter that Alex
“Dang, it’s too bright…” Blakely moaned as she slowly blinked her eyes open. A sharp, bright light pierced through her lashes, almost blinding her. Disoriented, she tried to sit up but pain exploded in her already pounding skull and she fell against the hard chair with a grunt of pain.“It hurts.” She groaned, a single tear slipping down the corners of her eyes. “Everything hurts.”Her entire body felt like she’d just been panel beaten with a pestle. From the roots of her hair to her aching feet, she was completely in pain.“Where am I?” She whispered to herself, trying to remember what had happened. After five seconds of trying hard, she still couldn’t remember a thing. As she made to sit up, a deep, booming baritone filled the room.“Pumpkin pie, I can see you’re awake.”Blakely’s eyes flew open immediately. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribcage and her pulse thrummed with fear.“That voice…” she whispered. “I know that voice.”In the silence of the room, the echoing sound
“What’s going on, sir? You don’t look Okay.” Martins asked for the umpteenth time. Alex was about to smash his phone against the wall when it buzzed with another incoming message. Impatient, he swiped through the phone until the words popped up on his screen.“Alexander Stephan. I warned you. I told you not to step on my toes, but you know your problem? You’re stubborn. Too stubborn. In the business world, the stubborn ones get killed easily. Only the obedient men live. I’m not asking for a ransom. I don’t want anything from you — just your tears and pain are okay for me.You’ll get your little fiancée back when I’m done using her to my satisfaction. I’ll give her back when I see that the stress of searching for her has taken its toll on you and your entire family.I’ll give her back when you’re ready to bend the knee and acknowledge who your master really is. Finally, I’ll give her back to you when I’m certain that I’ve broken your pride and your honour. Until then, maybe we migh
Alex barely had time to digest the shock and panic that zinged through his veins at Dr. Baron’s words when the officers jostled him to his feet and read him his Miranda rights.“How did Derek have access to Ora?” He asked desperately while the officers tried to lead him out of the lounge. “Where did he meet her? You’re lying!”The evil smirk on Dr. Baron’s face almost sent his emotions on overdrive.“I hope you realise that this is the second time I’m sending you to jail. Good bye, Alexander. Next time, I’ll send you straight to prison.”Alex was not having it. He struggled and kicked against the officers.“Speak, you bastard! You’re lying, aren’t you? Derek wasn’t with Ora. You’re lying!”The officers were finally able to wrestle him off the building after much effort. Derek and Melissa stared at him from the doorway, their faces smug and triumphant. Bile rose in Alex’s throat. Suddenly, he felt like everything was spiralling out of control. “Martins!” He barked. “Call the guards a
“You go, Alex. I’ll go back to the mansion and look after Ora and Jayden.” Abuela Zeya said when they arrived at the parking lot. Alex did not wait to argue. He wrapped his arms around her in a grateful hug and hurried towards the car, saying over his shoulder;“Thank you so much, Abuela. I’m grateful for your help.”She smiled.“Don’t mention it.”Martins and the driver fully expected him to go straight to the back seat. However, they were surprised when Alex stopped at the front seat and pulled the door open.“Sir, is there a problem?” The driver asked.“No. Come down. I want to drive today.” Alex deadpanned.The driver stared at him like he’d grown horns.“S-sir?”“I asked you to come down, Dimitri. I’ll drive to the commissioner myself. Trust me, I want to.”“Are you sure there’s no problem, young master?” Martins asked and Alex shook his head, trying hard to rein in his temper. The truth was that he felt restless. His nerves were on the very edge of exploding into tiny frustr
Outside, the sun shined brightly and birds chirped happily but for Alex, there was a dark, gloomy cloud hanging over his world. His heart felt like it had been pricked with a million tiny, sharp needles. He was positive that the state of his blood pressure would require medical attention. “I need you to remain calm, Alex.” The commissioner assured him. “Like I said, this has not been confirmed by the forensics department yet. It’s just a hunch.”Alex nodded slowly.“Why do you think the Las Vegas mafia are responsible for this?”“Because this is their method of operation. If they want something, they usually resort to kidnapping the victim himself or members of his family. They’re also known for abusing women.”Bile rose in Alex’s throat.“How long will it take the forensics department to come up with results?”“I ordered them to speed up the process.” The commissioner replied. “Expect results in the next 24 hours.”Alex suddenly felt dizzy. He staggered backwards and Martins rushed