“GOOD,” Oliver answered and ended the call.
He slid the phone into his pocket and looked outside the window. Oliver hoped that the clear, night sky would help him relax. But it didn’t.
Tons of questions formed in Oliver’s mind, including the sweet, gentle voice he heard in his mind earlier.
“I know you won’t hurt me.”
Strangely, that voice gives him warmth and motivation—That everything will be alright.
But whose voice did it come from?
“Hmmm…” Rebecca groaned, snapping Oliver back to his senses.
Oliver went to Rebecca and held his hand. “I&rsquo
The man bolted upright, shock flashing across his face. “Everyone? From The Phantom Order?”“Yes, Sir,” one of his men confirmed. “Not just that—the headquarters was destroyed with explosives. No survivors.”The man clenched his jaw, his mind racing. ‘The Phantom Order, one of the most feared groups in the country, was wiped out just like that?’‘The Phantom Order members, one of the best gangs in this country, were eliminated in a snap?’“They were slaughtered,” added the voice on the other end, low and grave. “And I saw people cleaning up. Judging by their uniforms and equipment, they came from the capital.”Hearing those words, the man paused, then spoke. “Any idea who’s behind this?”“I don’t…” he muttered. “But I’ve received some intel. I’m not sure whether to believe it or not.”His voice was slightly stammering.The hesitation in the voice drew the man’s eyebrows together. “Who?”After a sharp inhale, the voice answered, “They said it was Zero.”“Zero?” The man forced a laugh.
TRISHA BLINKED her eyes twice and chuckled in disbelief.“The police…” she said, her tone barely in a whisper. “Just who are you trying to threaten, huh?”Oliver’s lips curved into a smirk, his gaze cold. “No threats, Trisha. Just a fact.”He leaned in slightly, narrowing his distance with Trisha.“Keep testing me, and we’ll see if truth will prevail,” Oliver warned, his tone dangerously low. “I’ve got nothing to lose now. Can you say the same?”Trisha’s mocking smile faltered, and the confidence in her eyes wavered for the first time.She realized Oliver was right. Everyone knew him as a worthless and pathetic man. He has nothing to lose… Unlike her.And she can’t afford to lose anything, especially not now that Denver’s was on the verge of breaking off their relationship.Seeing the change in Trisha’s reaction, Oliver smirked. “I guess you returned to your senses now.”Trisha’s mouth opened to retort, but no words came out. Without another glance, Oliver walked away, leaving her tr
“POOR GIRL! After all her family did for him, this is what she’ll receive?”“Right! Like, how shameless can he be, walking around with stolen jewelry?”“If I were her, I’d call the police. Thieves like him deserve to be punished!”The restaurant buzzed with murmurs and sharp whispers, each word cutting deeper than the last. All eyes bore into Oliver with judgment, their gazes heavy with disdain.Trisha stood before him, her stance confident, her smirk betraying the satisfaction she felt. The audience was hers, and she knew it. ‘That’s what you get for humiliating me, Oliver!’With that situation, Trisha expected Oliver to be caught off-guard, especially on the way she confronted him.But to her shock, Oliver didn’t even flinch.His eyes narrowed, his expression steely as he stood his ground. “Trisha,” he began, his voice steady and cold, slicing through the noise. “What proof do you have that I stole it?”The room stilled, the weight of his question silencing the crowd momentarily.
Upon leaving the restaurant, Trisha went to an ally and called Carolina’s number with a smile.“Mom!” Trisha said as Carolina answered the call. “I have good news!”“You brat, can’t you lower your tone?” Carolina said, slightly pulling the phone from her ear. “Anyway, what is it? Why do you sound so happy?”“I got Dad’s necklace!” she said, giggling. “I never thought Oliver would dare steal something like this, but it’s not important now.”“Wait… What?” Carolina blinked in surprise.She stopped what she was doing—cleaning her nails while watching a soap opera on the television—and focused her entire attention on Trisha.“Oliver stole a necklace? And your father’s necklace, to top it all?” Carolina asked in disbelief.“Yes, Mom. I don’t know how he did that, though,” Trisha sneered. “But Mom, can you believe it? This necklace could withdraw money from Dad's savings account.”Trisha smiled, feeling the necklace in her hand.On the other hand, Carolina was shocked by the revelations. “Wh
“What’s happening?” Trisha asked the bank teller, her brows furrowing.“I’m sorry, Ms. Trisha,” the bank teller said, sliding the necklace in front of her, “but you can’t withdraw the money even with the necklace present.”Trisha’s eyes widened, her hands slamming the desk in shock. “What? But I was told that it was written in the contract! What nonsense are you saying now?!”“The necklace is not the only thing you need, Ms. Trisha,” the bank teller explained, her eyes fixated on the screen. “You only need Mr. Oliver’s consent as well.”“O-Oliver’s what?” Trisha blinked in shock and clenched her fists. “That motherfucker stole my father’s necklace. And now, you’re telling me I need his consent?”“It wasn’t stolen. Mr. Cole Henverton really gave it to him.”The bank teller moved her monitor, making Trisha and Carolina see what was on her screen.“According to this, Mr. Cole placed Mr. Oliver as the necklace’s owner, which technically would be the same for the savings account…” she said
Oliver looked a bit rough around the edges.He was wearing a tank top soaked with sweat, his sunburned skin and solid muscles on display.Over his shoulders, he balanced two heavy crates filled with fish, easily over 300 pounds between them. Yet, he moved with an effortless stride.Out of nowhere, a rock flew through the air, landing right by his foot and causing him to pause.It had to be those lazy coworkers of his, who always dumped the hardest jobs on him.Before he could spot the culprit, the market boss, Anthony, roared out from across the way.“Oliver! You think I pay you to slack off during work hours?”Yep, Oliver couldn’t even deserver a minute to catch his breath. To Anthony, he was no more than a workhorse.And it wasn’t just Anthony—everyone in town saw him the same way.For two reasons: First, he was an outsider.Second, the real kicker, he’d married the town’s richest beauty, Trisha Henverton.She wasn’t from some grand family, but around here, she was still a step above
The woman’s voice was polite but firm.Beneath it all, there was an undeniable excitement.Clearly, she was very, very happy to see Oliver.But Oliver wasn’t paying her much attention. He thought she must be joking.“Sorry, I don’t have time for games.”All he could think about was Teresa and Anthony’s bitter words from earlier.He didn’t want to doubt his wife, but her behavior had been strange lately. Anthony’s taunt had only scratched at a truth he’d been afraid to confront.Before Oliver could walk away, the woman called him from the back.“Please, come back, Commander! You’re destined to lead an empire, not live like this!”At the word “Commander,” Oliver hesitated. There was something familiar about it, something that tugged at a distant memory.But he shook it off."I'm leaving if you're not here looking for my trouble. Don't follow me." Oliver said. His demand sounded unfamiliarly firm.And weirdly, the woman listened to his order, stopped behind him.He headed straight to th
“Oh my God! Denver!” Trisha gasped, dropping to her knees to check on him. “You bastard! What did you just do?”“You should be thankful that’s all I did. I could have done worse,” Oliver replied coldly.His face showed pain, but he held it in.“How could you lie to me for so long, Trisha? After everything I did for you…”“Oh, spare me. I gave you the chance to be my husband.” Trisha sneered.“Do you even realize what kind of life I could have had if I hadn’t been tied to you?”Each word was like a slap across Oliver’s face.“I could have lived a life of luxury. But what did I get? A worthless husband who couldn’t even find a decent job,” she added, her voice dripping with scorn.“I deserve someone like Denver, someone who can give me the life I should have had.”As she spat out these words, Oliver tightened his hands, struggling to keep his composure."I gave you everything I had...“No matter what luxury you wanted, I worked extra shifts just to buy it for you.“You wanted more spendi
“What’s happening?” Trisha asked the bank teller, her brows furrowing.“I’m sorry, Ms. Trisha,” the bank teller said, sliding the necklace in front of her, “but you can’t withdraw the money even with the necklace present.”Trisha’s eyes widened, her hands slamming the desk in shock. “What? But I was told that it was written in the contract! What nonsense are you saying now?!”“The necklace is not the only thing you need, Ms. Trisha,” the bank teller explained, her eyes fixated on the screen. “You only need Mr. Oliver’s consent as well.”“O-Oliver’s what?” Trisha blinked in shock and clenched her fists. “That motherfucker stole my father’s necklace. And now, you’re telling me I need his consent?”“It wasn’t stolen. Mr. Cole Henverton really gave it to him.”The bank teller moved her monitor, making Trisha and Carolina see what was on her screen.“According to this, Mr. Cole placed Mr. Oliver as the necklace’s owner, which technically would be the same for the savings account…” she said
Upon leaving the restaurant, Trisha went to an ally and called Carolina’s number with a smile.“Mom!” Trisha said as Carolina answered the call. “I have good news!”“You brat, can’t you lower your tone?” Carolina said, slightly pulling the phone from her ear. “Anyway, what is it? Why do you sound so happy?”“I got Dad’s necklace!” she said, giggling. “I never thought Oliver would dare steal something like this, but it’s not important now.”“Wait… What?” Carolina blinked in surprise.She stopped what she was doing—cleaning her nails while watching a soap opera on the television—and focused her entire attention on Trisha.“Oliver stole a necklace? And your father’s necklace, to top it all?” Carolina asked in disbelief.“Yes, Mom. I don’t know how he did that, though,” Trisha sneered. “But Mom, can you believe it? This necklace could withdraw money from Dad's savings account.”Trisha smiled, feeling the necklace in her hand.On the other hand, Carolina was shocked by the revelations. “Wh
“POOR GIRL! After all her family did for him, this is what she’ll receive?”“Right! Like, how shameless can he be, walking around with stolen jewelry?”“If I were her, I’d call the police. Thieves like him deserve to be punished!”The restaurant buzzed with murmurs and sharp whispers, each word cutting deeper than the last. All eyes bore into Oliver with judgment, their gazes heavy with disdain.Trisha stood before him, her stance confident, her smirk betraying the satisfaction she felt. The audience was hers, and she knew it. ‘That’s what you get for humiliating me, Oliver!’With that situation, Trisha expected Oliver to be caught off-guard, especially on the way she confronted him.But to her shock, Oliver didn’t even flinch.His eyes narrowed, his expression steely as he stood his ground. “Trisha,” he began, his voice steady and cold, slicing through the noise. “What proof do you have that I stole it?”The room stilled, the weight of his question silencing the crowd momentarily.
TRISHA BLINKED her eyes twice and chuckled in disbelief.“The police…” she said, her tone barely in a whisper. “Just who are you trying to threaten, huh?”Oliver’s lips curved into a smirk, his gaze cold. “No threats, Trisha. Just a fact.”He leaned in slightly, narrowing his distance with Trisha.“Keep testing me, and we’ll see if truth will prevail,” Oliver warned, his tone dangerously low. “I’ve got nothing to lose now. Can you say the same?”Trisha’s mocking smile faltered, and the confidence in her eyes wavered for the first time.She realized Oliver was right. Everyone knew him as a worthless and pathetic man. He has nothing to lose… Unlike her.And she can’t afford to lose anything, especially not now that Denver’s was on the verge of breaking off their relationship.Seeing the change in Trisha’s reaction, Oliver smirked. “I guess you returned to your senses now.”Trisha’s mouth opened to retort, but no words came out. Without another glance, Oliver walked away, leaving her tr
The man bolted upright, shock flashing across his face. “Everyone? From The Phantom Order?”“Yes, Sir,” one of his men confirmed. “Not just that—the headquarters was destroyed with explosives. No survivors.”The man clenched his jaw, his mind racing. ‘The Phantom Order, one of the most feared groups in the country, was wiped out just like that?’‘The Phantom Order members, one of the best gangs in this country, were eliminated in a snap?’“They were slaughtered,” added the voice on the other end, low and grave. “And I saw people cleaning up. Judging by their uniforms and equipment, they came from the capital.”Hearing those words, the man paused, then spoke. “Any idea who’s behind this?”“I don’t…” he muttered. “But I’ve received some intel. I’m not sure whether to believe it or not.”His voice was slightly stammering.The hesitation in the voice drew the man’s eyebrows together. “Who?”After a sharp inhale, the voice answered, “They said it was Zero.”“Zero?” The man forced a laugh.
“GOOD,” Oliver answered and ended the call.He slid the phone into his pocket and looked outside the window. Oliver hoped that the clear, night sky would help him relax. But it didn’t.Tons of questions formed in Oliver’s mind, including the sweet, gentle voice he heard in his mind earlier.“I know you won’t hurt me.”Strangely, that voice gives him warmth and motivation—That everything will be alright.But whose voice did it come from?“Hmmm…” Rebecca groaned, snapping Oliver back to his senses.Oliver went to Rebecca and held his hand. “I&rsquo
OLIVER BROUGHT Rebecca to a hospital. He called Melissa to help him hide this from anyone, avoiding the reporters to swarm in their location.Now, Rebecca was resting in a VIP room, while Oliver and Melissa were on the corner. They prevented making a loud sound that could hinder Rebecca from resting.“I talked with the doctor earlier. He said that Rebecca is already fine; she just needs to rest from exhaustion,” Melissa informed. “Also, the doctor gave her medicine, and she will return to her normal state once she wakes up.”Hearing those words made Oliver sigh in relief.At the same time, he remembered the fear in Rebecca’s eyes while looking at him.“Is something the matter?” Melissa asked, seeing the shift in Oliver’s expression. “If it’s about what happened in the warehouse, I sent personnel to clean them all.”“That’s not it.” Oliver shook his head. “Rebecca saw with her two eyes… how I killed those men.”If something like that happens again, Oliver won’t hesitate to do the same
In a swift motion, Oliver flung the knife aside and grabbed the scarred man by his collar, slamming him against the wall. His fists flew with relentless precision, alternating between the man’s face and stomach.The sickening thuds of impact were accompanied by the man’s groans of pain.“You messed with the wrong person,” Oliver growled, his fist smashing into the man’s nose with a brutal crack. Blood poured freely, and the man’s nose broke under the force. “Don’t bother deciding how you want to die now. I’ll choose for you.”He hurled the man against the wall again, surveying the damage. Broken nose, closed eyes, blood flowing from his mouth—all of it was enough to send a strange satisfaction onto Oliver’s body.“This is for kidnapping Rebecca,” Oliver said, driving his fist into the man’s jaw. “And this is for the order to kill me.” His next punch struck the man’s stomach with bone-crushing force, doubling him over in agony.“And this…” Oliver’s knee slammed into the man’s crotch,
Hearing those words, the man was enraged. His grip on the steel pipe tightened as he swung it on Oliver’s head.“Take this, asshole!” he exclaimed angrily.“Oliver! No!” Rebecca shouted in worry, yet she couldn’t look at the scene.She turned her head away, unable to watch the brutality in front of her.The man’s smirk widened, thinking that he would catch Oliver off-guard with his sudden attack.But to his shock, Oliver raised his arm and grabbed the steel pipe in his hand.“W-What the fuck?” the man grunted in shock as he tried to get it out of Oliver’s grip.However, Oliver