What could I say, except my heart wasn't made of stone? When someone loved me deeply, it was hard for my heart not to react.Gisella, with her stunning beauty that didn't bind but rather set me free, made it impossible for me to hide my heart and feelings from her. When I met Nala, I confessed, "Nala, even though I wanted to be with you, it wasn't right, as Gisella had just opened her heart to me, and I had accepted her feelings. It wouldn't have been ethical to continue desiring you. But I still needed your help to enjoy time with Celeste."Nala, with a playful slap on my shoulder and a laugh, assured, "Don't worry about it. You covered the travel costs, filled our pockets, and paid for our shopping sprees. We couldn't have asked for someone better than you. You were an amazing friend to us, and honestly, I didn't mind. As you knew, Bali was swarming with attractive strangers that time of year, especially near New Year's.""Good luck, but keep Celeste away from those strangers," I ca
Under the vibrant glow of the fireworks, I gazed at Celeste, her beauty shining brightly, but that wasn't all that filled my thoughts. Her bravery, her solitude with no one but me for company—it was never just about me.I stood there, taking in her presence. She was slightly shorter than me, and I could see in her eyes, shimmering with hope and anticipation, that she was waiting for me. It required a tremendous amount of courage to express what she did.With open arms, I beckoned, "Come hug me."She responded in kind, wrapping her arms around me as I hugged her back, my hand gently caressing her head and hair. "Don't force yourself," I whispered. "I will never leave you alone. Take it one step at a time; there's no need to rush. Just take your time.""I love you," Celeste murmured."I love you too, Celeste," I replied, my fingers tenderly stroking her back. From the corner of my eye, under the kaleidoscope of fireworks, I spotted Gisella watching us. I wondered how she would interpret
In the secluded back room of a private VIP area in a restaurant, I was seated opposite Lewis. The muffled sounds of distant chatter and clinking cutlery barely penetrated our private sanctuary.“Please tell me, why do you want out?” I asked while pouring him a hot tea, leaning forward, my voice laced with curiosity.Lewis’s face turned pale, a stark contrast to the bright of the room. “Alex,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper, “You know, I was just an accountant. After all, Dave handed over his mafia reins to me forcefully.”Interrupting his flow, I asked, “By the way, where is Dave now?”He sighed deeply, his eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. “He's completely washed his hands of the Mafia business. He's in Finland now, living a clean life with his wealth. He has found his peace there.”“So, can you tell me the real reason you want out?” I probed further, searching his eyes for truth.“I’m scared of death,” Lewis confessed, his voice quivering. “People are starting to reco
I poured the green tea from the pot into my small glass, savoring its aroma. The steam wafted up, carrying the scent of fresh leaves. I love green tea. Taking a sip, the hot liquid grazed my tongue, its bitterness mingling with a subtle sweetness—truly tasty."Explain to me how you plan to accomplish it," Natalia asked, settling back into her chair. Her gaze bore into mine, seeking the gravity of my response.“Are you going to be the leader?” I asked in return, the air heavy with the scent of her perfume.“I will listen to your plan first, and give you the answer later.”“Do you know about yin and yang?” I began, drawing on a piece of paper on the table with a marker. “It’s a symbol in black and white. But there’s a funny thing, inside the white there is a tiny circle of black, and inside the black, there is a tiny circle of white.”She was looking on the paper.“It is like this, inside the police force, there are corrupt and bad officers, same with the prosecutors and judges. Also in
I could see their shocked faces. "I want to tell you, having no enemy is impossible. Whatever we do good or bad will cause enemies to appear, but with a this business mindset, we always must think of the worst but do the best." That is how I survived as the past Marshal, always thinking the enemy is much larger than we could see, and fighting with that mindset to achieve the best result. It's always better to be prepared than to have no preparation at all."Here is my idea, and tell me if any of you have a better idea," I started. "To face the Bolton family in real estate and all their businesses, Jessie from Total Construction, Violet from real estate and properties, Sabrina from entertainment, and Natalia from Holy Order Enterprises or security, all of you will collaborate to achieve the best result for our expansion. Open franchises like KFC, McDonald's, Seven Eleven, and any minimarket hotel, apartment, homestay as much as you can. Whatever the Bolton Family does, we will do the s
“Yikes! It's dirty,” Celeste exclaimed, rushing to the bathroom to wash her face.I sat on the couch, looking at Eugene and Anastasia, they both were pretty if they were walking on the plaza now one will think them still in middle school. “You both, it’s not okay to say something like that. People could end up in jail.”Eugene and Anastasia looked at each other in confusion. “How can that happen?”“Listen, both of you shouldn't have made love yet, and if you call the police to report your boyfriend, they will end up in jail,” I explained, glancing as Celeste returned to her friends.“What if we don’t report it to the police?” Eugene asked, his brows furrowed in thought.“Then they are okay; no one will enter the jail,” I said, feeling a sense of normalcy in the chaos. I know it’s not okay to make love carelessly, but rules and reality often differ. In my time in middle school, there were two middle school students who got pregnant. “But still, it is not okay.”Eugene looked at me inte
Maxim, the leader of the Bolton mafia's business branch, arrived at the airport with five of the assassins. They strode confidently across the tarmac towards a large Hummer waiting to ferry them to the Bolton main branch in the city. The air was tinged with the scent of jet fuel and the distant hum of aircraft engines.Inside the car, the atmosphere was tense. One of the assassins, his brow furrowed with concern, broke the silence. “Where is our weapon?” he asked, his voice tinged with unease.Maxim, looking weary, sighed heavily and replied, “I have told you, we cannot bring weapons with us on the flight. They must be transported separately to ensure our safety. Your weapons will arrive in about an hour on another flight.”“I cannot feel safe without my weapon,” the assassin muttered, his hands fidgeting nervously as the car starting to move.“We will provide you with a weapon of your choice upon arrival at our base,” Maxim reassured him.The city, bathed in the harsh light of noon,
“Yes,” I said to Eugene, my words slipping out more from reflex or perhaps revealing a deep-seated desire within me.“Yes?” Eugene turned, his expression a mixture of shock and curiosity. Around us, some girls also mirrored his astonishment, their faces transforming into portraits of surprise. I suddenly felt my entire face flush with shame. It wasn’t what I really intended to say, or maybe it was exactly what I wanted but couldn’t admit openly. And then there was another legal issue to consider later! “Damn,” I muttered under my breath. Hastily, I corrected my mistake, “I mean, yes, I will take all of you to wherever you wish and buy whatever you desire. Just never mention this sex party again, and you can all have a normal party here. No more bizarre celebrations.” Eugene’s face fell into a pout, “Here I was, genuinely happy, thinking you were finally going to loosen up and have fun with us.” She smirked mischievously, “But if you’re offering to foot the bill for a shopping spree,