In Blackmoor City, far northeast of Mildenbrough..."Alright. I'll be back to the prison soon. I'll let you know when the prisoner is available for a chat."The one who said that was Douglas, the warden of Iron Stone Prison. He was driving his car, heading to the prison he ran.[Okay, I'll wait. Make sure he's alright.]"Understood. Please be patient."The call ended from the other side. Douglas put his phone on the dashboard behind the steering wheel. He shifted gears, speeding up his car.A few minutes ago, Douglas was actually on his way to a Middle Eastern restaurant he liked in the city. As usual, at this time of day, he would eat there alone, enjoying the characteristic Middle Eastern music. Unfortunately, he had to turn around suddenly. He received a special request from someone not very important.Scott Goodman. Actually, the name sounded unfamiliar to Douglas. But since Scott had a hierarchical relationship with Zachery Garlington, an influential general he knew well, he coul
Silence for a moment. Clara waited for Hector’s response anxiously.[Is that really you?]"Of course!"Clara was furious because she couldn't change this call to video call. She knew on the other side Hector was talking to her using a regular phone."How are you, Hector? Are you okay? It's been a long time since we talked," Clara said.[Well, I've been here for almost three years, and there are still a dozen years left. What exactly do you expect?]Clara's face turned sad. It seemed she had deep feelings for Hector."I'm sorry, Hector. The agency kept me away from you. I wasn't allowed to visit you there. I couldn't even send you a letter," Clara said.Silence. No response from Hector."I just want to hear how you are, Hector. I hope you're okay. It's a shame I can't talk while looking into your eyes, but even like this, I'm happy enough. At least, you're still alive."[Of course I'm still alive. Do you think the guards here can kill me that easily? You're underestimating me now, Clar
After parking his black McLaren in the garage, Scott headed straight for the front door.As he reached for the doorknob, it moved before he could touch it—someone was turning it from the inside.The door swung open. Luisa appeared behind it, wearing knee-length shorts and a thin, oversized T-shirt."You just got home?" Luisa asked."You weren't asleep?" Scott asked back.Luisa shook her head. "I... was waiting for you," she said.Scott was silent for a moment, not expecting to hear that from Luisa. Did that mean she wasn't mad at him anymore?Luisa was also silent. She was surprised by what she had said. Her words had been spontaneous."Emm... did you eat?" Luisa tried to change the subject."Not yet," Scott replied, shaking his head. "I was just taking care of some important things. I had to go out suddenly. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you first."It was Luisa's turn to shake her head. "It's okay," she said. "Come in. You must be hungry. I'll warm up some food. Go to the kitchen after y
After finishing breakfast, Lisa returned to her room. Her face was just as crumpled as before. Eating did nothing to improve her mood.Sitting on the edge of her bed, Lisa called an old friend who worked in the city government of Mildenbrough. She had to wait through five rings before her friend picked up.“Hello?”“Hey, Denis. It’s me, Lisa. You still remember me?”“Of course I do. How could I forget the arrogant woman who rejected me countless times?”Denis and Lisa had attended the same university. Denis was infatuated with Lisa and asked her out numerous times, but Lisa never agreed.Lisa was quite popular on campus and saw herself as very beautiful, while Denis seemed like an ordinary guy who didn’t promise much as a partner.Denis continued to hope that Lisa would become his girlfriend until their final days at university, but his hopes were dashed when Lisa chose to date one of the wealthiest students on campus instead.For the remainder of his university days, Denis harbored a
The next morning, at the airport...Scott and Luisa had already passed through security at the departure gate and were now waiting for the announcement to board the plane. They sat next to each other in two empty seats in the lounge."How are you feeling? We're going to spend some quality time together for three days and four nights," Scott said.Luisa looked like she was about to smile but held back. She then shrugged and said, "Just fine. But I hope we can enjoy our vacation.""We will. You can relax and unwind. Don't worry about work or anything else, okay," Scott said.There was no further response from Luisa. She just nodded without looking at Scott.Scott didn't mind. He knew Luisa was actually excited and he was sure his wife would show her enthusiasm once they arrived in Ravenshire."There's an empty seat. Let's sit there," said a red-haired woman who came from the right. A blond man was with her, probably her partner.The seat the red-haired woman was sitting in was the empty
George placed his bet with absolute confidence, even mocking Scott, convinced victory was already his.But Scott was equally confident. He extended his right hand, offering a handshake."Deal," Scott said."Deal," George replied, gripping Scott's hand and shaking it firmly.A sly grin crept across George’s face. He was certain Scott and Luisa had mistakenly wandered into the wrong cabin. Their simple, understated appearance made it obvious—or so he thought. Unlike him and Linda, who were decked out in high-end designer brands, Scott and Luisa wore modest clothing—though still quite stylish.What George didn’t realize was that while Scott and Luisa weren’t flaunting big-name brands, the items they wore were even more exclusive. The lack of logos was deliberate, as their clothing was custom-made in limited quantities. Lombard, the man behind their wardrobe, ran a private factory specializing in high-quality, timeless pieces without flashy branding.If anyone in the cabin were to touch S
Seeing Tony busy texting someone, Luisa tugged on Scott’s arm. Scott turned, glancing at his wife.“Scott, do you think we’re in the wrong? What if those two seats we booked were already reserved for someone else?” Luisa asked, her eyes full of worry.Scott quickly shook his head. “That won’t happen. And if it does, it’s not our fault. It’s the airline’s mistake. They can’t just ask us to leave this cabin,” Scott said firmly.Luisa gazed deeply into Scott’s eyes, and he returned the look. He needed to reassure her that they were in the right.“I’ve asked a colleague to check the passenger database today to confirm this issue,” Tony said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “We should get confirmation soon,” he added, handing the two tickets back to the flight attendant.Tony seemed confident, even arrogant. His smile and posture were smug, especially compared to the flight attendant’s seriousness.The flight attendant examined the tickets again, her expression both stern and puzz
"Protect Young Master!" one of the bodyguards shouted.The rest of the guards immediately closed ranks, shielding the man in the brown cloak from sight. Some of them aimed their weapons in various directions, prepared for any potential threat from other passengers."Hey, you! Hands up! Now!" the same guard barked, glaring at the suspicious passenger Scott had just knocked down.The man was clearly outnumbered. Even if he had a backup weapon, he was in no position to use it. Any sudden move would be met with bullets from the guards aiming at him.On top of that, his left hand throbbed with pain after being hit by Scott’s shoe. Slowly, he raised his hands, casting a venomous glare at Scott."Restrain him!" ordered the guard.Without hesitation, two other guards, keeping their guns trained on the man, approached and pinned him down roughly. They clearly believed this man was either a criminal or a terrorist."Search him! Make sure he’s not carrying any bombs or other dangerous items," th