As the evening wore on and the main course was finished, the host declared, "Now, gentlemen, feel free to indulge with the maid. She's as good as she looks!" Elena's eyes widened in alarm as she began to clear the table, her gaze darting to Mark in a silent plea for help. Enzo, in particular, seemed to take the host's words as an invitation, his eyes leering at Elena's body as he licked his lips in anticipation. Elena's discomfort was palpable, her movements stiff and hesitant as she replaced his dish with a dessert of velvet cake and cream topping. Mark ignored Elena's discomfort and said to the music machine, "Alexa, play us some upbeat music. We would like to party." While the music played in the background, Mark rose to his feet, lifting his glass up, and said, "Cheers to good business and more money." The men raised their glasses with a loud cheer, and while they were still standing, Enzo turned his attention to Elena, who was still picking up some plates at the table and repla
The memories flashed before Mark's eyes like a grim slideshow. Sarah, his loyal assistant, gunned down in cold blood. Johnson, his trusted driver, killed in a car bomb explosion. Stefan, the quiet janitor, discovered days after the first excavation, his lifeless body a haunting reminder of the danger that haunted Mark. Mark's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he thought of all those who had been hurt by his enemies. The anger and pain simmered just below the surface, fueling his resolve to make them pay gravely for their sins. Mark's gaze shifted to the passenger side, where his new bodyguard, Saint, sat watching him with an expressionless face. Mark couldn't help but think, what's with bodyguards and their weird names? As Mark deviated from the planned route, Saint raised an eyebrow. "Where are we headed, sir?" He asked, his deep voice firm but polite. Mark's smile grew wider. "I need to see my father," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice. As he drove, Mark's though
Elena sat on the couch, away from Mark, who was shedding tears, his pain was palpable. She could see the hurt went really deep, to his very soul. She wondered who could have committed such a heinous crime, killing the influential and almighty Gabriel Darius. The cruelty of it was unfathomable. For a brief moment, she suspected it might be the hand work of Number One, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Mark was inconsolable, refusing her attempts at comfort or words of solace. He had cancelled all his appointments for the day and ordered the premises to be closed to prevent anyone from coming in. Elena sat with him for a while longer, then rose up to answer her phone, which had begun ringing. She excused herself to take the call in her bedroom, leaving Mark alone with his grief. As she walked away, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, wondering who could have done such a thing, and what their motives might be. The silence in the room was heavy, and Elena couldn't shake o
Elena walked tentatively along the corridors. It was afternoon, and Mark was downstairs in the mini bar. She had timed what she was about to do to coincide with the time when the guards were about to rotate their shift. She looked along the corridor and found no one standing guard. She hurried over to Mark's door and tried the handle, praying silently that it would be open. Luckily for her, it opened. She walked into the room and shut the door behind her. She hurried over to Mark's closet and hid the briefcase behind a shoe rack. She quickly and quietly stepped out. Once she got to the door, she immediately remembered something and turned back to the set of drawers in a corner of the room. She searched until she pulled out Mark's checkbook. She looked behind her to make sure she was still alone. She opened it and found the imprint of Mark's signature from a previous transaction. She imitated the style and it was a perfect replica. She smiled to herself in satisfaction. She had be
Mark let Saint drive him home, still reeling from his meeting with the funeral home to make preparations for his father's funeral. He couldn't believe he was talking about his father in the past tense, again. When he thought his father had died in the plane crash, he was devastated. But then his father came back, revealing he was never on the flight. Losing him for real now, to a stupid mistake, made him feel very angry. He wished he could find the lemonade seller who put coconut juice in his father's drink. A thought flashed through his mind, and he wondered if the act was perpetrated by an enemy. But then he remembered his father had gone to the spa; it was hardly possible. Yet, his enemies had shown just how dexterous they could be. As they approached his house, Mark's mind was drawn to the vehicle parked in front. He knew he was bound to receive visitors since his father had just died, and he had already met with the mayor at a restaurant. But he was not in the mood for any mor
David sat in his office, pouring over financial statements on behalf of Mark. Despite the unexpected turn of events with Mark's arrest, the business still needed to run, and David was determined to keep things on track. David's thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He picked it up, and a voice on the other end introduced herself as Cristine Dylan, Mark's account manager. "Hello, good morning, Mr. David. Sorry to bother you," she said. "I'm aware of who you are, Cristine. Is there a problem?" David asked, his tone direct. "I fear so, sir. There's just been a cash-out of one million dollars from Mr. Darius' personal account. I was wondering if you're aware?" Cristine explained. David's expression turned serious, his brows furrowed in thought. "No, Cristine. Can you send me an email with the account statement?" He requested. "Alright, sir," Cristine replied before ending the call. David quickly got on the phone with Mark, a privilege afforded to him as a wea
Mark sat in his cell, savoring his decent breakfast of bread, fried eggs, and baked beans, accompanied by a little bottle of orange juice. The knock on his door broke the silence, and Agent Jones stepped into the room. "Good morning, Mr. Darius. You can leave as long as you're done with your breakfast, sir. We've caught the real perpetrators of the crime. Miss Elena Woods, your ex-wife. And we believe she had help. But she won't speak to us." Mark nodded thoughtfully, wiping his lips clean with a napkin and taking a sip of his juice. "I see," he said, his mind already racing with questions. He looked at Agent Jones and asked, "Can I have my things now?" Agent Jones nodded and pointed to the door. "Of course, sir. If you could just come along with me, please. My sincerest apologies for the misunderstanding and any accompanying inconveniences. It wasn't the least intentional." Mark replied, "It's all good, Agent. Just get me my things." They walked into an office where Agent Jones h
Bennet steered his car into the parking area of a coffee shop in town, climbed out, and admired himself in the car mirror. He was looking good, and all the money he had been making was now visible on him. He smiled, and walked into the coffee shop to find Baummerman at a table, too busy with a tablet to notice his arrival. Bennet took a seat, and when the attendant came over, he ordered a cappuccino. Baummerman looked up and greeted him, but Bennet ignored it and asked, "How's business, Bill?" Baummerman shrugged, "Well, slow. Why have you asked us to meet?" When the cappuccino arrived, Bennet nodded and tipped the attendant profusely. Baummerman raised an eyebrow, "Well, I see it's a different story for yours, then." Bennet played it cool, "Well, I had to tip the kid anyway." But Baummerman pressed, "And you call two hundred dollars a tip?" Bennet shrugged again, took a sip of his drink, and dropped a bombshell: "The investment I had asked for sometime last month, I don't think i