Chapter 824: he is so cold towards the child.

What a joke! this child who is not related to him is in the gu family. he can have everything he wants, but his child is nowhere to be found!

The president's people are also secretly tracking the child's whereabouts, but there is still no news. it seems that li tingshen has hidden the child well!

Gu kuangen could not help but walk towards the nursery.

The two wet nurses were taking care of the two-month-old child. the wet nurses changed her into a new diaper and stopped crying.

Gu kuangen stood at the door and looked at the tiny figure with a cold gaze.

He only stood there for a few seconds before he returned to the master bedroom and closed the door.

The two nannies looked at each other and could not help but frown. during this period of time, the male host had been very cold towards the baby and the female host had also run away. the two nannies did not know the inside story but secretly speculated that the child might not belong to the male host right?

However, they did not dare to spread such words outside. after all, this job was not easy to come by. if they were to lose their job...

Gu kuangen leaned his back against the door. he took a deep breath and thought of shi caining who had changed into her evening gown. it was as if something had stabbed him in the heart.

Such a beautiful woman, such a small child, yet he could not protect her...

He stumbled over to the sofa and sat down. he was extremely agitated. he took out a cigarette and started smoking quietly.

He had just smoked half a cigarette when someone called him.

"boss, zhou erze hasn't shown any signs so far. did we follow him wrongly?" that was gu kuangen's subordinate. he was in charge of keeping an eye on zhou erze.

Gu kuangen acknowledged, "let's keep an eye on him for now. he's the most suspicious at the moment!"

"alright, boss!"

Gu kuangen hung up the phone and sneered. his eyes were shining brightly. he resisted the urge to log into another mailbox. he took out his wallet and took out a few photos.

Of these photos, two were of shi cai ning with him and three were of his daughter.

The child in the photo had sharp eyes and looked very much like him.

Amidst the smoke, gu kuangen reached out and gently caressed the child in the photo. his expression became darker and darker, and his eyes became more bloodthirsty.

Half an hour later, cheng li sent over a laptop.

"boss, this laptop was sent over. it's brand new and no one has touched it yet."

Cheng li opened the packaging. gu kuangen took the laptop and opened the web page. he immediately logged into his secret email account.

Cheng li looked at the gloomy-looking gu kuangen. it was already past 11 o'clock, but he still did not want to rest. did he want to see the feedback from another mysterious informant?

Because the previous laptop had a virus that was extremely difficult to find, gu kuangen did not dare to use it to log into that email account. he could only use a brand new computer.

This laptop was probably only used for receiving mail. other than gu kuangen and that reliable informant, there was no one else in the world who knew about his secret email.

Even cheng li was excluded. when he thought of this, cheng li did not have any special feelings. if it was him, he would also be so cautious.

Gu kuangen looked at the new email and his face lit up bit by bit.

After he finished reading the content, he closed the webpage. "alright, don't mention this matter to anyone else. you've done well. it's getting late. go back and rest!"

"alright, boss..." cheng li looked at him carefully.

After cheng li left, gu kuangen locked the notebook into the password safe in the study. other than him, no one else could open it.

Gu kuangen rubbed his temples, hoping that everything would go smoothly...



I'm not your slave, you bastard! She's furious! She's furious! I'm furious! WE'RE BREAKING UP! She's laughing like crazy! We'll discuss this in a hundred years She was her ex boyfriend, mother hated down and out, but he praised her as treasure, when Tsenin, you want my heart, my life, I can give you at any time

Although I know the basics in computers, how to log in and read/send emails, I don't know much. I'm 100% connected all the time, my job makes it hard to not be around them always. I have two cellphones, a laptop, a desktop home computer, desktop at work, and two tablets. I save all my passwords in a little black book, how am I to remember all my log ins? 
Friday night after work I went out to drink with friends, left everything but my phone in the car. Keys as well but I can unlock it from my phone. I don't like to drink but I usually just have one glass of a mixed drink. We where having a great time, just one problem. A group of middle aged business men started harassing our group. We where all ladies except Josh, but he's also a lady, and they couldn't help but intervene in all our conversations. The subject matter in our conversations didn't matter, they just gave us their two cents. It almost got physical when they started attacking Josh, I won't get into detail but amidst the fighting, I lost my cellphone. I lost my lifeline. 
It's been three weeks now and I got a new phone, a cute pink cover too. I didn't notice much but I kept getting weird spam. I always get spam but this was for a certain adult website with a certain gentlemen. It didn't bother at first but then it stated popping up to my work email. Slowly everyday, my inbox was just 100 unread pure spam emails. I didn't open any of them since I didn't want any virus but one email caught my attention. The subject was my full name, home address, and personal cell number. In the email it had a picture of me and my boo at the park yesterday during one of our walks. One of the weird thing is that our faces where cropped out and it had pig heads.  The next day I get messages on my phone that my car was turned on. I look out the window and my car is there. I get more emails and then my computer at work started acting weird. IT came and found absolutely nothing wrong with it. I went home and my home computer started doing the same thing. 
I'm about to go crazy when I see a flyer about fixing computers. I call up the company and they can go to your house to fix it. Sweet I thought, I don't need to lug all of this around. They came within 30 minutes and was already working on it. They found a virus and fixed it all up and I was excited. The next day I found an unread email, again with my name, address, and phone number. In the email it had another picture, it was the computer guy working on my computer and me watching over. My head was a pig but his was normal. The email also had a date but it didn't make sense, it was today's date. This picture was taken yesterday? I looked over to my phone, it was the same picture. I looked at my laptop and it's also the same picture. All my devices had the same picture. I show my boo and he jumps on the computer. They computer dudes didn't fix my computer but made it worse. We're trying to find the flyer, can't find it. We look though our call history, no number last called. We try to look for the business but no such business pops up. 
Was already freaking out when my car engine starts. We ran to the window but my car was gone. We didn't hear it pull out, it's like it was never there. My emails start blowing up, incoming mail over and over again. I get notifications on all my devices. I can't even click on one fast enough to read it. At the same time, someone's deleting them. My computer starts downloading a program while we try to cancel it  but nothings happening. We disconnect the internet but it's still downloading. 
"It's connected to a different router," my boo whispered as he tried to disconnect. It kept asking for passwords but there was none. I hear a Knick at the door and was about to run down when my boo stopped me. He went to the door and it was fedex, we got a weird package in a black wrapping.  No idea who it was from but my computer started flashing the words, open it. We open it cautiously and it was the flyer with a bunch of pictures. It was all of me on the train, in my car, at home, at work, and it all had the word "it" scratched  all over them. We where about to call the cops when the computer plays a love feed video. It was Metallica dude from my train dream. No wonder I thought the computer guy looked familiar. He was just sitting there, smiling, just looking at us. We would move slightly and his eyes would follow us. After 2 minutes of this creepy footage he finally says something. 
"I've been watching you sleep," he says with a gigantic smile, "so peaceful. I tried to get your attention but you wouldn't turn around. I wanted you to meet my friends..."
As soon as he says friends, we hear my car engine start again and the doors closing. They had the decency to lock my car but  when we looked out the window, my car wasn't there. Just two tall dudes standing in front of our door. They didn't move or doorbell, they just stood there looking up at us. 
"Fuck this," my boo yelled as he called the cops. I stood there looking over at the two hooded dudes but as soon as I looked over to my boo, they where gone. The cops came but they couldn't find any foot prints at the door any sign that people where there. Nothing happened for a while just random emails. It's been hot recently so I take naps on the weekend roughly around the same-time each weekend. I was almost in deep sleep when I hear a scratch sound at my bedroom screen. I'm paralyzed again, I couldn't move. I see a shadow in the mirror reflection, it has that same odd smile as Metallica dude. It want him though, this guy was bulky and he smelled. He smelled like soot. I hear the other screen being slashed. I started hyperventilating, it was inside. I tried moving my head, my toes, my pinky, anything, nothing. I feel the pulling of the bedsheet. Sharp claws trace my toes. I can feel it going from the pinky toe to my big toe. Cold clammy hairy hands grab my ankle.  I sit up and scream only for two other hands pull my arm down. "Hello," it whispered in my ear, "did you get my email?"

Small stores to tell in the dark. Dreams I’ve had and would like to share.

Marie wakes in the late afternoon and stretches. She pulls her foot back towards her when it touches something ice cold. When she sees Vale sound asleep, she realizes he is what her foot had touched. Shocked at how cold he was she tried to wake him. He was pale, and cold as a block of ice! Should she call an ambulance!? She grabbed the comforter from her bed and covered him, found his phone and looked for an emergency contact. Maybe he had a medical condition. She found a number he had called earlier and called that number.
"Hey man I'm kind of busy." Max answered.
"Please help. He wont wake up!" Marie is crying.
"You must be Marie." Max responds
"Should I call an ambulance? Does he have a medical condition he didn't tell me about?" Marie is scared.
"NO! Don't call an ambulance. Just relax, Vale is fine. I'll call back in an hour, I'm in the middle of something right now, but don't call an ambulance, I'll explain when I call back. Ok?" Max's fun loving voice is gone and is replaced with authority and seriousness.
"Ok" Marie whispers and max hangs up.

An hour later Marie is still concerned, but has calmed  down quite a bit. Vale's phone rings and Marie quickly answers. "Hello?"
"Marie right?" Max says.
"Yes"
"Look Vale would probably be upset if I tell you this because he really likes you but, I don't know." He hesitates briefly. "What the hell! Before you get really attached, you should know. Vale is a vampire. He isn't dangerous and he wont hurt you. They are nothing like what the movies and myths portray. I wish I could do this in person but I'm out of town. Are you ok?"
"Uh huh" Marie doesn't know if this is a joke or what but, vampire? Really?
"Marie, I'm going to send someone to your house. My butler will be able to sit with you and help Vale explain when he wakes up."
"No, please don't send anyone else to my house. Is this a joke? I mean it cant be true." Marie doesn't quite know how to feel.
"No, this is not a joke. Marie." Max sounds serious.
"Yes?"
"Don't hurt my friend" his tone has turned dark and she shivers.
"Why would I?" She whispers.
"I mean it. We can meet when I get back." Max sounds like this is not optional.
"Ok" Marie whispers.
"I'm sending my butler. You don't have to let him in, but I want to know vale has left safely."
"That's fine." Is all Marie can think of to say as she begins to wonder what she has gotten herself into. She hangs up and sits back on the couch staring at Vale with her knees pulled to her chest.

Shortly after Marie hung up she heard footsteps in the hall. They stopped in front of the door and she held her breath. Whoever it was did not knock and she let her breath out. A million questions ran through her head and she was to scared to move. So she sat and watched Vale sleep until the sun set.

Vale stretched and yawned as he realized he was covered with a blanket. Then he sat up with a start. Marie! He turned his head to see her sitting in a ball with wide eyes. Oh no, he has scared her away. He looks down at his toes and takes a deep breath. He feels her move slightly and looks back at her. She hands him his phone and he takes it, avoiding touching her finger tips. 
"Who did you call?" He looks back down at his toes.
"Max"
"Mm, he told you what I am?"
"Yes" Marie whispers
"I will never hurt you. I hope you know."
"When were you planning on telling me?" She asks
"I don't know. I was afraid of this to tell the truth."
"Oh" Marie is still staring at him. He looks defeated and sad and it pulls on her heart. she likes him, but she is afraid of what might happen.
"I'll go. Please if you have questions or just need to talk...." He cant even finish his sentence. "I'll wait for you to call." He whispers sadly. 
"Ok" Marie whispers back.
Vale puts on his shoes and looks over at Marie as he closes the door, locks it and slips her key back under the door. She hasn't moved and she might not for a while.

Marie hears the door close, the locks click and the key slide across her entry way. He seemed sad. Her heart is pounding and she isn't sure if she can even move. What in the world has she gotten into? Is she going to call him? She puts her head in her hands and takes deep breaths.

Outside Maries door Vale stands for a moment, Max's butler is standing there on the side. He nods to Vale and walks with him out to his car. He gives Vale a knowing look as Vale puts his hand on the butlers shoulder, smiles and gets into his car. On his way home he gets a call and answers. "Hey."
"Man you fell asleep?!" Max sounds surprised.
"I didn't mean to." Vale sighs
"She sounded really freaked out when she called me. Are you ok?"
"Yea. Can we talk when you get back?" Vale just wants to be alone and not have to explain anything right now.
"Alright man don't do anything stupid." 
"Ok. Talk to you when you get back man." Vale hangs up and drives the rest of the way home in silence.

Marie stayed in her apartment the rest of the weekend and called in sick to work on Monday. George told her to follow up via email to her client and to feel better. She didn't have work for her second job until Tuesday, so she didn't worry to much about it yet. She checked her email and followed up with the client to see how they liked the remodel design. She set her computer to ding if she received an email and went to shower. As she was eating lunch she heard a ding from her room. She took her food to her desk and looked at the email. Her client was happy with the design so she emailed George that the client is happy with the design. They just need to be sent a quote. She decided to do some research online as she ate her lunch. Nothing she found online about vampires seemed at all helpful, so she closed out her web browser and went to the kitchen.

Vale woke each evening and simply lay in bed. That nagging voice in his head beckoning him to the darkness was again his only companion. He thought of Maries soft hair, deep blue eyes and her sweet voice. She has his heart and she doesn't even know it. Will she ever call him? He took his phone from the side table and looked at it hopefully, willing her to call.

Marie went to work on Tuesday, but was far to distracted to really be productive. Should she call? Does she want it to be over? So many thoughts ran through her head as she went through her day on autopilot. She was ready to go to her evening job and wondered if she should take a cab. Marie decided to walk, he promised he wouldn't hurt her. Her evening went smoothly, but she walked home quickly just in case. Then realizing it didn't matter if she was in her apartment, she had invited him in, she accepted whatever may happen.

The next night at Maries night job she felt she was being watched. The whole evening she was looking to see who might be watching her. Was it Vale? Had he changed his mind about leaving her alone? As her shift ended she decided to walk even though Vale may hunt her down. Would he really hurt her? But before she could begin her walk a hand grabbed the back of her elbow and she jumped in surprise. She held her breath as she turned to see who it was, and was looking into amber eyes. This was not Vale. "I need you to come with me, preferably quietly." So this was Vale's friend. She could hear the demand and somehow knew it was not a good idea to fight. Marie nodded her head and let him lead her to a car where two men were waiting. She was placed in the back seat followed by Max. The two men sat in the front. Marie put on her seatbelt as her heart began to pound and tears burned in the corners of her eyes. She had already accepted this possibility right? Was this the end?

Marie lives a quiet life, until the fateful day she finds who she thinks is the one. Little does she know her world is about to change!

The Caucasian woman's face was pale as a ghost.

The Asian man coughed out blood once more before finally getting up and pulled out a knife.

"DIANNE, GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Dianne who was hugging Nathan's leg let go immediately and tried to move away.

However, Nathan grabbed her by the neck and raised her up.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" said Nathan as he looked at the Asian man and smiled.

"BASTARD! LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!"

"You really like ordering me around, huh."

Nathan grabbed Dianne's left hand and crushed it.

Crack!

"AHHHHH!!!" Dianne screamed.

"YOU!" said the Asian and dashed forward.

However, Nathan shielded himself with Dianne's body, causing the man to stop.

The Asian man gritted his teeth and his eyes were burning with fire.

As much as he wanted to save his little sister, he knew that Nathan was far too powerful.

He already lost his parents during the zombie apocalypse. He couldn't lose his sister as well.

Nathan smiled. 

"The bitch behind me, move to this man's side or I'll break this girl's neck," said Nathan to the Caucasian woman.

"Hannah…" said Dianne weakly.

The Asian man looked at Hannah.

His eyes were pleading.

However, Hannah was frozen from fear.

"Heh~ Still not being cooperative," said Nathan as his hand slowly reached out for Dianne's left ribs.

"HANNAH! PLEASE DO AS HE SAYS!" said the Asian man.

He knelt down and bowed.

"Please… Don't hurt my sister…. Please… We only want to survive…"

Tears started flowing from his eyes.

Seeing the Asian man prostrating and crying, Hannah finally snapped back to reality.

"David…"

Hannah quickly went over to David's side and hugged him.

"Please don't hurt us… We don't mean any harm…" said Hannah and cried as well.

As for Dianne, she started crying as well and weakly said, "Please, mister… I'll do anything you want… Just don't hurt them…"

Looking at their scene, Nathan couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

He felt like he was the villain here.

'No! I'm the victim here! That dog pointed a gun at me while I was at the loo and made me beg!' 

The scene also reminded him of a certain memory…

***

3 years ago.

Nathan, 21 years old.

Liit Town, Muwin.

"Grandpa! Cousin! What are you guys doing here?" a man called out.

Sakhr and Nathan looked towards the direction where the voice was coming from.

It was Maaz, the eldest child of uncle Mabrook and aunt Mariam. And with him was a group of drugged-up and dangerous-looking men.

Maaz was 25 years old. However, despite being older, he was only 5'2" tall and was skinny. Because of that, from what Nathan has heard, he had this Napoleon complex.

Nathan glanced over at the drugged-up and dangerous-looking men.

They too looked at Nathan, sizing him up.

Back in the day, despite Karen's objection, he didn't mind talking to people like this. 

To him, they were the outcast or rebels of society and their devil-may-care outlook kind of intrigued him a little bit.

However, after he graduated and started working, he began to distance himself from such people to protect his image.

In his mind, he wasn't a teenager anymore so he needed to "man-up" or "act right" as they say.

"You drug addict, what are you up to now?" said Sakhr.

Although Sakhr believes that a real man does, say and takes what he wants, he doesn't agree with throwing your life away by doing drugs or engaging in illegal activities. 

Sure, doing drugs once in a while is acceptable. But doing it every day that it affects your physical and mental health? That's a different matter.

To him, what's the use or how can you enjoy the benefits of your success if your body is broken? What was the point if you will only end up inside a coffin or spend your life behind bars?

Maaz smiled and said, "Nice to see you too, grandpa." 

He then looked at Nathan and nodded.

Nathan nodded back as well.

Sakhr snorted.

"We're getting some fresh air," said Nathan.

"Oh, okay. See you guys later. We're going to grab something to eat," Maaz said and started walking towards the church with his crew.

When Maaz and his crew were already a couple of feet away, Maaz stopped and turned.

"Cousin, we're going to Banya city tonight. You should come with us to celebrate."

"Sorry, I can't. I have work later."

"Okay." 

Maaz resumed walking.

"Brat, don't follow the footsteps of that brat," Sakhr said and then sighed. "I only have 3 grandchildren that I know of. And unfortunately, one turned out to be a disappointment. You and Malik are the only decent ones so don't fuck up our family name."

"Wait… what? You have other grandchildren?"

As far as Nathan knows, this grandfather of his only had two children, his father and uncle Mabrook.

Sakhr hit Nathan with his cane.

Pah!

"Ouch!"

"You idiot. With the number of women I've slept with in my life, it wouldn't be a surprise if one of them got pregnant and I wasn't aware of."

Nathan checked his watch.

3:43 pm.

From Monday to Saturday, he usually wakes up around 3:00 pm because his main job is from 5:00 pm - 12:00 am and his part-time job is 2:30 - 5:30 am.

However, his employer at his part-time job was a cool guy and let him take the day off today.

With that, today, he only had to work at his main job.

'I'm going to try to take a 30-minute nap.' Nathan thought. "Grandfather, uncle Mabrook and aunt Mariam are probably looking for us."

"Go tell them to come here."

"Okay."

Nathan got up.

"Brat."

Nathan looked at his grandfather.

"Give me another stick."

Nathan didn't want to argue to he gave his grandfather his pack of cigarettes and lighter.

After returning them to Nathan, Sakhr blew smoke and said, "Go now but take your time." 

***

Nathan and his family got back home.

Maaz didn't come with them.

Nathan climbed up the second floor and went straight to his bed.

He grabbed his phone and set the alarm clock.

'4:30 pm… Okay.'

There were a few messages from his family members that were not here at Liit town.

He decided to ignore them for now and slept.

***

4:30 pm.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

Nathan opened his eyes and grabbed his phone to turn it off.

'I still want to sleep…'

His body felt so weak and heavy from the lack of sleep and food he ate earlier.

He decided to close his eyes for 5 minutes.

A minute or so passed when suddenly…

"Nathan, I made you coffee and a few snacks," said a woman.

It was aunt Mariam.

The room that Nathan shared with Maaz didn't have a door because it was removed by uncle Mabrook about 10 years ago due to Maaz's drug problem. 

Nathan opened his eyes and got up.

"It's downstairs. Do you want me to bring it here?"

"Thanks. I'll just eat them downstairs."

"Okay."

Aunt Mariam left.

Nathan stretched.

He then grabbed his laptop, phone and headphones before heading downstairs.

***

Nathan was at the dining table listening to music on his laptop while checking his email and drinking coffee.

His first work starts at 5:00 pm so he didn't open his message app and was checking his emails in the meantime.

He noticed an email.

It was an email from the company of his main job and was sent just about 4 hours ago.

It was a termination letter.

The reason he was being fired was because the company was facing some financial issues and they had to fire some of its employees.

However, the "bright side" was that his pay was sent right away instead of at the end of the month.

After reading the letter, he opened his message app right away to contact his former employer.

His status wasn't online yet.

Nevertheless, he clicked the profile of his former employer and began typing a message.

[Hi, I just read the email that was sent to me by the company. I don't understand why I'm being fired. I've been producing good articles. In fact, every week, I have one article that's part of the top 5 weekly tech news articles. What's the basis of my termination?]

After sending the message to this former employer, he decided to contact his fellow writers as well that he was friends with in the company.

[Hey, I received a termination letter today and got fired. Did you receive one as well?] 

He sent the same message on all 4 of them -- 3 were females and 1 male.

They all messaged him back.

It turns out, 1 female and the other male were fired as well. 

Also, he couldn't help but notice that the 2 females that were not fired were the beautiful ones. 

And out of the two of them, one rarely writes and doesn't even get her articles at the top 5 weekly tech news articles. 

His former employer finally replied.

The "reason" given to him was the same as written in the termination letter that he received.  

Nathan was about to ask why the writer who rarely writes wasn't fired but decided not to.

It would be no different from begging.

"FUCK!"

Bam!

Nathan slammed his fist on the table, causing his coffee to spill.

Seeing the spill, Nathan grabbed his laptop and phone right away.

"Shit!"

Aunt Mariam rushed to the dining area.

"Nathan, what's wrong?!" 

"Um… Sorry, aunt Mariam. I accidentally bumped the cup and it spilled over all my laptop."

"Oh… Let me help you wipe that."

"Don't worry. I can clean it myself."

"Oh you, it's okay. Just let me do it."

Seeing that she was so persistent, Nathan finally gave in.

However, he couldn't help but feel bad for her.

Sure, she was a housewife just like his mother, but she was too dedicated that he couldn't help but feel bad for her.

If no one knew she was married to uncle Mabrook, they probably would have thought she was the maid or something.

But who was he to question a society's culture?

Who was he to tell his aunt what's right and wrong?

Who was he to tell her how to live her life?

"Thank you," said Nathan.

"It's okay."

He went back to his room.

*********************************************
Author's thoughts:

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading!

To those people who voted with their power stones, I would like to thank these Power Immortal Voters:

• 

To those who want to help this immortal in his path to immortality in writing his first immortal book, you can consider these two other immortal positions:

The first immortal position is to become one of my Immortal Patrons at P-a-t-r-e-o-n and have access to my "chapter drafts" for only $5 a month. 

• https://www.*******.com/Immortal_Shades

Please note that to view my P-a-t-r-e-o-n page, you need to enter the link I posted above and replace the asterisk symbols with the appropriate words. My page doesn't appear on the search list because it's marked with adult content. Moreover, the chapters posted there are only drafts. So when I will publish them here, there will be some edits.

With that, I want to give my special thanks to the Immortal Patron(s) for March 2020:

• Teltaios
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The second immortal position is becoming an Immortal Donator by sending it to my PayPal address.

• immortalshades123@gmail.com

This Grandmaster Immortal would be eternally grateful to you... *Kowtows 3 times*

Thank you once again and I'll see you in the next chapter.

"I am a Chosen One! I refuse to bow down to society! Society must bow down to me!" 


Nathan is your average 24-year old man. Just like everyone else, he experienced both pain and happiness in his life which shaped him into the man who he is. 


One day, God unleashed a zombie apocalypse and gave humanity the System that allows them to level-up, forever changing the world. And among the humans, there are beings called Chosen Ones who are slightly better off than the average humans. 


Follow the journey of a man who slowly descends into madness as he survives in a zombie apocalypse and rises to power. 


Author's note: I took some ideas from the novel [God and Devil World].

Returning to Yeo Ri's side. 

"—Alright, shall we take a break? Let's take five."

It was afternoon and her Taekwondo class was in full swing. The coach had just given them a break and Yeo Ri had immediately headed to the side to check her phone. 

As she scrolled through her texts, she spotted one from Park Soo Yeon. 'I received a call earlier and I have good news for you. Check your emails when you have the time!' It said. 

Yeo Ri raised her eyebrows in wonder. Without any hesitation, she immediately logged into her email account and skimmed through her inbox. 

'[Runaway Kids] Audition Result', one of them was titled. It was a forwarded email from Park Soo Yeon who received it from the production company of the film she auditioned for merely a day ago. 

"That was quick," she muttered.

She tapped onto the email, and—

"Hm."

A smile bloomed on her face, lighting up her features. 

She passed. 

Just as she had hoped, Yeo Ri had snatched the leading female role. 

She sent a quick reply to Park Soo Yeon, expressing her joy, to which the older woman replied with congratulatory words and the follow-up process. Since the artist herself was so busy, Park Soo Yeon had arranged for Secretary Kwon to pick up the script in her stead, and she sent over her updated schedule as well. 

Yeo Ri was almost fully-booked all the way to September, but she didn't mind; more fame, more work, more money. 

Fuelled by the good news, she practiced the Taekwondo moves with even more vigour, earning the coach's praise. 

Half an hour later, she finally finished with the day's lessons. 

Yeo Ri didn't have the time to sit down and eat, so after showering and refreshing herself, she had Secretary Kwon drive her straight to the set while she ate a simple meal of riceball and bottled water in the car. 

"President Park sent a soft copy of the [Runaway Kids] script. Shall I print it out?" 

"Yeah. Go find a stationary shop or something while you wait for me later. I want to rehearse my lines as quickly as possible."

"Yes, miss."

Silence filled the car. 

Secretary Kwon felt the need to speak more but looking at the girl who was busy eating her food while reading another script, he suddenly thought that it was better not to bother her. 

Kwon Tae Yang sighed inwardly. Why was it so hard to get close to the young lady? Should he just throw away his professionalism and treat her casually?

—No, he was bound to be made fun of if he suddenly changed his attitude. His usual personality and the stoic facade he adopted for work was completely different that the girl would probably heckle him for a long time over it. 

Although his boss hadn't told him to get to know the girl, his own personal curiosity could not help but want to become closer to her. For some reason, he just felt as if he couldn't leave her alone even if he was pulled out from this job. He was genuinely worried for her and wanted to take care of her as a proper guardian. 

Suddenly, he could hear the girl sigh. 

"What is it this time?" Yeo Ri sighed again. 

"..." Kwon Tae Yang toughened his skin. In any case, he had always been as straightforward as he could he with this girl. "Miss, I think you're overworking." 

"Huh. Are you saying you're worried about me?" Yeo Ri scoffed. 

Kwon Tae Yang tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he heard her snide tone. "That's precisely it, Miss Yeo Ri." 

Seriously, Yeo Ri thought, just what was wrong with this Secretary Kwon? 

"Do you really like me? Is that why you're acting like this?" She jeered. "Mind your own business." 

"Miss, please. As your... manager, your wellbeing is my business."

"Whatever... you're overstepping your boundaries. Just keep quiet and be a good guard dog like what that man told you to be."

Kwon Tae Yang sighed. After they arrived at the filming location, he parked the car and took off his sunglasses. 

He rubbed the bridge of nose tiredly before turning to look at her through the rearview mirror. 

"Miss Yeo Ri, I really do like you. You're an honest and good girl. I don't want you to get hurt, and nobody else wants that too. It's my job to protect you, and it is also my duty to look after you. Can't you please at least take these thoughts into consideration? Look at your schedule—it's so full! I've never seen a child who is as busy as you, miss! Please, just don't be so hard to yourself! You're already doing very well. Can't you tone it down?"

Yeo Ri was unprepared to receive a lecture from the man. For a while, she could only stare back at him speechlessly. For the amount of time she had known the passive man, she had never heard him speak so many words at once. 

"Are you confessing to me? I'll report it as statutory ****," she blurted. 

"Miss! I'm being serious!" He snapped, turning his head to look back at her with helplessness and frustration. Just because she didn't like his boss, who was her biological father, nothing he said seemed to be getting through.  

"..." Yeo Ri looked away, biting her lips. Fine, she might have been a little mean to treat him so badly since the beginning when all he did was make sure she was safe. Actually, Yeo Ri had already gotten used to Secretary Kwon's presence. Sometimes she even found it comforting that he was standing by her side. It felt nice, to have someone who was on her side at all times, waiting for her hand and foot. 

"Sorry," she murmured. 

Secretary Kwon could barely hide his shock as he gazed at her repentant visage. The stubborn young miss actually apologised to him?

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry as well... for raising my voice and being impolite."

He cleared his throat, recovering his cool. "Truce?" His voice carried a hint of playfulness that Yeo Ri thought he had been hiding quite well. So this was the real Kwon Tae Yang, she thought in enlightenment. 

Yeo Ri rolled her eyes, a small smile pulling up her lips. "Fine."

A grin appeared on Secretary Kwon's face briefly before fading away. He resumed his bodyguard act, putting on his sunglasses again. He straightened his suit before exiting the car, then opened the backseat door for Yeo Ri to get out. 

As she left the vehicle, her eyes lingered on Secretary Kwon's gloved hands. 

"You don't need to wear those gloves anymore. I don't mind it." Yeo Ri bashfully began to walk away after saying her piece. 

Secretary Kwon raised his eyebrows in surprise as he caught up to her. 

"...Is it really fine?" He rubbed his gloved hands. Was it too late to say that he only kept wearing them because it made him feel like a secret agent?

Yeo Ri glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you going to sexually harass me?"

"Goodness, no!" The man immediately answered with alarm. A principled man like him could never do such a thing! A proper sp—uh—secretary should never take advantage of his employer's child! Death to creepy b*stards who do that!

"Then it's fine," the girl simply said. Her mouth quirked as if she found amusement in his reaction.  

After clearing the air with Secretary Kwon, Yeo Ri leisurely went back to work mode.

The background is set in a quiet small town on the outskirts of Seoul. In this town, people were friendly, except for one particular neighbourhood. 

In this neighbourhood, everybody lived their lives as if treading on eggshells, all because of one particular household: the Lees. 

People surnamed Lee were a dime a dozen, but these particular set of Lees were unique. Dysfunctional. 

The family consisted of four people; the father and breadwinner Lee Do Joon, the delinquent son Lee Hyuk, the top student Lee Gun, and the town's most beautiful girl Lee Yeo Ri. 

Lee Yeo Ri was regarded as a saving grace, but before anybody knew it, the saving grace was slowly disintegrating from within. 

Hidden underneath her perfect, angelic smile, was a girl who was slowly being crushed and torn apart. 

This is her story. 

— 
TRIGGER WARNING — This story contains depictions of rape. 
— 
Support me at patreon.com/ihateyounot or https://ko-fi.com/ihateyounot :) 
— 
Please consider commenting or reviewing; any and all feedback are appreciated! :D

Xia Qingyang looked disappointed and aggrieved. "Qiyuan, don't blame me for being angry. I've never hurt her before, so why did she try to scheme against me like this? Why is she so evil! From now on, please don't blame me for not treating her as a daughter!" 
"She was the one who decided not to treat us like family first, I don't blame you." The more Lu Qiyuan thought about it, the angrier he became, He slammed his teacup back down onto the saucer. "Now that she's older and able to do things independently and on her own, I, as her father, am unable to stop her anymore! That damn child sure is smart! If she can scheme against you today, tomorrow she can scheme against me too! That ungrateful thing has never treated us like family! Only Xia Qingwei treats her like a treasure. I want to see, how will Xia Qingwei end up when Lu Man stays with her!" 
"She indeed went too overboard this time. We always treat her like family but she doesn't. What a waste of raising her up all these years and treating her as the Lu family's young mistress. Everyone else is worried that they can't find a job after graduating. But what about her? Before she has even graduated, we've already arranged for her to have a job in the company," Xia Qingyang said unashamedly.
When clearly it was her and Lu Qiyuan who forced Lu Man to have to quit school, yet she twisted her words and said that even before graduating Lu Man already had a stable job. 
This "stable job" in their company was to work as Lu Qi's assistant rather be her servant. 
If Lu Man was here right now, she would definitely give her two big slaps on the face. 
Xia Qingyang really knew how to bend the truth! 
"That ungrateful and useless thing!" Lu Qiyuan hit the sofa furiously. 
"Qiyuan, we gave her money, let her have a good life, yet this is how she tries to harm us." Xia Qingyang saw that she had managed to infuriate Lu Qiyuan sufficiently. "This time, we should give her a stern punishment, if not you really wouldn't be able to handle her. I'm fine with it, since I'm not her biological mother, and neither has she ever respected me. Maybe she can't even wait for me to drop dead." 
"Mom!" Lu Qi cried tearfully, "Don't curse yourself like that." 
Xia Qingyang patted Lu Qi's hand. "I'm not cursing myself, but that's exactly what Lu Man wants. These two days in the police station, I suffered so much and I was always worried that I would never get to see you two ever again. I don't understand exactly why Lu Man is so cruel. Qiyuan, I'm alright, but you're her father. It's fine if she doesn't respect me, but she can't be disrespectful towards you too! No matter what happens, it's still the same, you can't be humiliated by others. Now that this matter is getting even more blown up online, so when you head out you will get humiliated by others, but even your own daughter couldn't care less about it." 
This was also the reason that angered Lu Qiyuan the most. When he was discussing business matters with others, every single person he met would ask a question or two about Lu Man. 
To Lu Qiyuan, Lu Qi was his most obedient daughter. All this was Lu Man's fault. 
"Hmph, since I can give her all these, I can take them all back too. Just like how I can let her have a home and a job, I can also let her be so poor that she'd even be starving! Doesn't she think that it's unfair for her to be Qi Qi's assistant? Ha, then I'll make it such that she can't even be an assistant! Even if she tries to find another job, she also won't be able too! I may not have a lot of influence, but it's enough to cause her to starve in City B. By then, once she can't even afford to pay for Xia Qingwei's follow-up medical treatment, she will have to listen to us obediently!" Lu Qiyuan said smugly and wickedly. 
***
Till now, Lu Man still did not know about Lu Qiyuan's evil plan. These past few days, she was indeed applying for jobs. 
However, even after applying to several companies, there was either a rejection email or no response at all. She did not even have a chance to go for a written assessment or an interview. 
Right now, in the afternoon, while Xu Hui was guarding by the hospital door, Zhou Cheng stealthily went to the hospital's entrance. 


"Take me in, I'll do anything you want me to!" 

In her previous life, Lu Man is sent to prison after being framed by her step-sister and an asshole. After being released from prison, the only thing that greets her is her mother's tombstone. Seeing the asshole and bitch getting happily along together like one big family with her birth father and step-mother, she sets out to die together with the asshole and her step-sister in fiery flames. 

The moment she opens her eyes again, she finds herself back on the very day she was framed. Resolutely jumping out the window and climbing next door, she seeks refuge from the man occupying the room there. But who would have guessed that the man is the brilliant hunk she has always admired from afar in her past life?

She vows to rub her eyes clean and be more discerning of people. She wants to make everyone who owed her in the past to pay her back! 

"Young Master Han, can you let me hug your other arm too?" 
"Actually, I have one more, do you want it?"
"…" 

Tarasha looked cute and smart in her well
tucked in shirt, she combed her hair in a stylish
manner as she stared at her reflection from the
mirror in front of her. She hissed again on
seeing the high heeled shoe laying on the floor,
she would have changed it to a flatter one if not
that she wanted to portray herself as a average
stylish Nigerian girl.
She put on the suit jacket first and took another
look at the mirror to check if any part of her
dressing was conflicting with the other. After
confirming that her combination and choice of
cloth and accessories were okay, she put on the
shoe.
She felt awkward as she took the first four
steps with the shoe due to the fact that she
hadn't worn high heels for almost a year but her
body had been trained to fit into any situation
so she was quick to adjust as she proceeded
out of the room. She picked up her hand bag
from the table in the sitting room and walked
out of the house.
She walked a little distance from the gate and
stood by the side of the road to wait for a cab.
Her decision not to drive to the company was
based on her plan to present herself as a
student. She already prepared a forged identity
card for herself and was going to the Company
to present herself as a student in the
department of pharmacy of the University of
Lagos.
She didn't stay on the road for long before a
cab stopped by and she got in. She negotiated
with the driver who didn't waste time as he
kicked off the fifty minutes journey
immediately.
The supposed fifty minutes journey was turned
to an eighty minutes journey because of the
traffic jam on the Lagos road. Tarasha wasn't
bored all through as she asked the driver
several questions along the way, the driver also
coperated well; providing answers and even
expatiating further than he was being asked.
Tarasha waved at the driver after he dropped
her right in front of the pharmacy; he waved
back at her happily and drove off. She brought
out the ID card from her bag and straightened
her suit before she faced the company and
walked towards the gate.
The guards at the gate didn't disturb her at all,
they clearly saw the ID card hung around her
neck and believed she was one of the students
on Industrial attachment. She greeted them
pleasantly and walked to the main building
where she saw the receptionist.
'Good morning ma' she greeted with a bright
smile.
'Good morning, how may I help you?' the slim
receptionist replied.
'I've come to make some enquiries about health
conference organized by the pharmacy'
'Which one?' She asked without paying much
attention.
'The one coming up on the thirtieth of
November, with Ken Benson and Lee Yung Cho
as guest speakers'
'Okay, what do you want to know about it?'
'I would like to see Dr Daniel Umaru, I need to
ask him something'
'Huh?' The receptionist looked at Tarasha's
face, surprised. 'What do you want to see him
for?'
'I have some questions and suggestions for him'
'Sorry dear, I don't think he's got that time' she
said and placed a small piece of paper
containing a web address on the shelf. 'That's
our website address, log on to get any
information you need about the conference and
send your enquires to the email provided there'
'I need to see him personally, I've already sent a
mail to the email address already but it's
important I see him'
'What? He doesn't have time for you, he's a very
busy man' the receptionist said with an angry
look on her face.
'But I know he goes around to supervise every
Thursdays and Fridays, he may be able to spare
some time for me today' Tarasha persisted.
'Please don't let me force you to leave, go and
wait for a reply to your email'
'No, you can't force me out' Tarasha raised her
voice, attracting several people who were
around.
'What's happening here ?' A short man in a lab
coat approached them.
'She says she wants to see Dr Daniel Umaru' the
receptionist answered him.
'Huh? Is that true young Lady?' He asked,
turning to Tarasha.
'Yes sir' she answered calmly. 'I really need to
see him'
'Come' he said after giving her a searching look,
motioning her with his head to follow him. 'Who
do you say you want to see and where are you
from?'
'I'm Samantha Osman sir; a pharmacy student
at the University of Lagos. I want to see Dr
Daniel Umaru ' Tarasha replied politely
'Okay' He replied, taking a look at the ID card.
'What do you want to see him for?'
'It's about the conference coming up soon'
'What about it?'
'Hum, I found out that he is the chairman of the
organizing committee and I want to ask him
some questions and show him some of my
personal research work as a medical student'
'He's a very busy man, so I don't think he would
have time to attend to you. You can visit our
website and send your enquiries there ; you can
even share your ideas with us there'
'I know sir, I already sent my enquires there but
I still need to see him personally' Tarasha
insisted.
'Hmmm well…' The Doctor took another look at
Tarasha, as his attempts to wave her off didn't
work. 'I'm also part of the planning committee
but I can't attend to you now. You'll have to
come back tomorrow, is that okay?'
'Oh! Thank you sir' Her face radiated happiness
as she thanked him. 'What time do I come?'
'Hmmm, let's make it…' the Doctor paused to
think for a while. '11am should be okay; I can
go through whatever you have and give you a
response'
'Thank you sir, How do I get to you when I
return tomorrow?'
'Just ask of Dr Hammed Sheriff' he answered,
showing her his name tag on the lab coat. 'And
make sure that it is something that really
worths my time, I won't be happy if your
research isn't something reasonable'
'I promise you it would be worth your time'
Tarasha assured with a smile.
'See you tomorrow then' the Doctor concluded
and walked away, leaving her behind.
Tarasha glanced at the receptionist who kept an
eye on them all through. The receptionist looked
away immediately their eyes met and fixed her
gaze on the book on her table.
Tarasha walked up to her stand and placed her
two hands on the table, smiling.
'What do you … ?' She almost shouted, but
stopped on seeing the annoying smile on
Tarasha's face.
'I just came to apologize, I'll see you tomorrow'
Tarasha turned and walked out of the building.
She removed the ID card hung around her neck
immediately she got out of the gate and threw it
into her bag. She brought out her phone and
dialled Chief Gab's mobile number.
'Hello Chief'
'Hi Tarasha' came the reply
'I called to tell you that I'll br moving into that
house by 7am tomorrow morning, so get
everything prepared before then'
'I'm on it, I already ordered for the lab
equipments and paid the officials who are going
to set it up. The equipments would arrive this
evening'
'Good one Chief, that's very good of you'
'Thank you Tarasha, but it costs me so much to
do this especially because it is needed urgently'
'I'm sorry about that Chief, but you should know
that this job requires urgency expenditures
always' Tarasha replied with no note of pity in
her voice.
'Alright, I'm in the house now but I'll be leaving
for my office soon. Where are you? Maybe you
can come around to inspect the arrangements'
'That won't be really necessary, I would still
rearrange the place myself'
'Okay'
'Yea, and there's one more thing left'
'What's that?'
'I need another person who can cook very well'
'That's no problem, I already made preparations'
'Thank you' she ended the call and walked up
the road to board a cab.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++
**6pm, same day**
Chief Gab and his friend, Chief Nonso laughed
heartily at the back seat of the Lexus 2026
model jeep as they cracked jokes about the
day's job. They looked very happy and the
source of their happiness could only be traced
to the several millions they made from their just
concluded illegal business.
The bodyguard and driver occasionally looked at
the front mirror and smiled to themselves as
they watched the two elderly men play like like
kids.
'Don hasn't seen anything yet, he doesn't know
that this girl is a fresh one from Russia, he has
been here for long' Chief Gab joked.
'Don't mind him, he even asked for Tarasha to
work with him' Chief Nonso added. 'I asked him
to screen the two guys very well before he
brought them'
'Sure, they have to be fit enough to work with
Tarasha, I don't want any mistakes in the job'
Chief Gab said as he looked back at the car
coming behind them. That was his own car
which conveyed two of his thugs and the two
men sent to them by Don to work with Tarasha.
He brought out a device and punched a button
on it as they got to the house. The gate opened
up and they drove in.
'Here is the place I prepared for Tarasha' Chief
Gab stated, adjusting his Agbada as he came
out of the car.
'This place is big o, is she planning to bring in
her husband and children?' Chief Nonso
commented playfully.
'Hehe' Gab chuckled, 'I don't know for her , let's
just provide everything she needs'
The four guys in the other car walked up to the
Chiefs and stood by the side, waiting for
instructions to be given.
'Come here' Chief Nonso ordered the new guys
who walked closer. 'Tarasha would move in here
tomorrow morning by 7am, you guys should be
ready to work with her'
'No problem Chief' the guys smiled at
themselves, their faces beamed with
confidence.
'The cook will join you here before 7.30, she
went to get some foodstuffs' Chief Gab added.
'Don't allow anybody else in except the cook
and be very careful with Tarasha'
+++++++++
Kindly drop your comments.

This story is about a Lady Assassin who was
trained in Russia, specially skilled in the art and
carrying out the job with no fears, restraints or
apologies.
She became so powerful and was greatly feared
by several of her male counterparts, including
some of the masters who trained her. She hated
so many things, God was number one on her
hatred list.
She came down to Nigeria and was still involved
in her profession until she met someone who
was willing to help her start a new life.
But people from the past came into her life
bringing back old memories. Then she met her
match, another fierce assassin

Although it was scorching summer, Qin Guan felt a cool breeze around his ankles. I’d better go. They thought I was a performer, but someone else might think I’m a beggar.
    At home, Qin Guan put the elegant gift in its small container on the dressing table. He always felt like he was forgetting something in the summer. Working the next day would drive that thought out of his mind though.
    In the evening, he replied to Bu Qinglu's email, typing with a single finger. It was something about accounts and statistics. In less than five minutes, Qin Guan had picked up two bugs and replied, drinking iced beer.
    He had made a good beginning, so the work was as simple as drinking water for him. 
    Bu was sitting before his computer, lost in thought. He got Qin Guan's reply right away. All he had to do was pretend to be clever in front of the new accountant.
    It was not the first time he would be doing it. The accountant was admiring him more and more by the minute. His reputation as a wise man was rising among the company. 
    He replied to Qin Guan’s email with only one word, "Awesome!" Qin Guan was considering whether he could ask for a salary increase at an appropriate time. 
    The scorching summer was the worst in 100 years, and Qin Guan's car was experiencing obvious problems. 
    The air conditioner was in a bad condition, and the leakproofness of the carriage was not so good. Even if Qin Guan turned the air conditioner on to the maximum, he still couldn't feel cool in the car.
    After a full 30 minutes, when it was finally cold inside, Qin Guan had already reached his destination.
  Qin Guan wanted to change his car, but he was about to go abroad. 
    He got out of the car leisurely and observed the familiar building.
    It was interesting to see VOGUE's headquarters just opposite the ELLE building. 
    Great! Maybe COSMOPOLITAN will build a building on the other side.
    Qin Guan was taking pleasure in Yin’s misfortune. He put the car key in his pocket and entered the building, wearing his Halley sunglasses.
    The girl at the reception suppressed a scream. She called the chief editor right away.
    As an official fan, she knew everything about Qin Guan. She was different than his nymphomaniac fans in the entertainment circle. 
    She was also a queen of data, so she had gathered all information concerning Qin Guan. 
    Up to that point, Qin Guan had participated in 17 shows of different fashion brands, taken pictures for two magazines, and appeared in eight TV advertisements and five posters. He was also the ambassador of a brand. 
    The ordinary girl kept all this information in her mind.
    As Qin Guan sat in a chair and listened to the girl recite his job history, he began to suspect that even Sister Xue wouldn’t be able to provide the exact dates of his activities that fast.
    Qu Xuemei, the chief editor of VOGUE, heard their dialogue by accident. She felt it was necessary for her to get a good look at ELLE’s exclusive model and the clear-headed receptionist.
    At the sound of her high heels, the girl suddenly stopped talking. She looked like a snake was staring at her.
    Qin Guan watched the lady slowly walk up to him from behind the receptionist.
    She was a slender woman, 170 centimeters tall. Even though it was blazing summer, she was wearing a stern grey suit and high heels. The collar of her shirt was buttoned up, and her hair was pinned in a meticulous bun behind her head. 
    The only accessory she was wearing was the golden chain hanging from her golden-framed glasses, swaying naturally next to her temples as she walked. The swaying chain made her look lively.
    The keen girl realized who was behind her immediately and made a grimace.
    Qin Guan couldn't help but burst into laughter.
    Qu Xuemei stared at the model, who was wearing a tight white cotton T-shirt and dark blue jeans. His legs were slender. He was as pretty as a painting.
    She blushed and coughed to cover up her awkwardness. "Qin Guan? My assistant will lead you to the dressing room in a bit and tell you about the do’s and don’t’s of the shoot. Zhang Yuan, follow me."
    Trembling in fear, the girl followed the chief editor. At the last moment, she turned around and cast a glance at her prince.
    Bad luck! As long as I get a final glance though, I’ll die without any regrets.
    The door was closed. Qin Guan could do nothing but pray to the gods for the girl. He headed to the assistant’s room instead.
    Interesting! Chief editors of fashion magazines are always experts on the fashion industry. They are hot, bold and unrestrained, filled with knowledge about art and advanced concepts.
    This chief editor had exceeded his imagination though. Judging by her clothes and manner, she seemed like a self-disciplined, strict German woman.
    She should be working on Wall Street.
    I’m looking forward to this new magazine. 
    Before he could think more deeply about the problem, he was led into the dressing room. 
    There were three rows of mirrors inside. This must have cost a lot. 

Qin Guan was reborn and sent back to his final semester in High School 18 years ago. Getting a second chance at life, he works hard to turn things around and eventually become a Prince Charming. What will his life be like the second time around? What will he have to go through? How will he succeed in turning from a loser into a Prince Charming? Read this story carefully and find out!

I had actually thought that I'd get some rest while I was on 'vacation'. Turned out, I was incapable of enjoying my time alone and threw myself into cleaning up my apartment, washing my car and other such activities. After a long time, the apartment genuinely felt like home and not just a place I crash at, at night. It was clean, without any dirty dishes in the sink or an overflowing trash can. Sometimes I wondered if I was just messy or didn't have the time to take care of my chores. I hoped that it was the latter. Those were the first two days of my vacation. The third day had gone by and there had been not a single spot left to be cleaned. I thought I could see my face on the floor. Anthony was yet to call.
That night, I didn't get a blink of sleep. I cooked up all sorts of scenarios where Anthony planned to take action against Darcy without my help or knowledge. I wouldn't mind if he excluded me from his plans of ruining Darcy, but it was pretty evident that I would get screwed if something went wrong and Darcy went after everyone who dared to go against him. Anthony, I realized, had played a cruel game and introduced me to the 'visitors' sent by Luke Darcy, thereby making them believe that I was someone of importance to the gang and Anthony. It was indeed a clever trick, and someday, I'd get back at Anthony for it. In retrospect, he had been flaunting me. More like rubbing my presence in their faces. I chalked that up to lack of trust, obviously.
Just because he'd stopped those trailing bastards didn't mean that he had suddenly grown less cautious about me. This was the method he was using to ensure that I would be plastered to his side at all costs so that I could save my own skin. He was right, of course. Anyone would have done the same, but I had no choice in it. I would have to blindly follow him anywhere and win his trust. If facing Luke Darcy with a blindfold was the beginning of gaining his trust, I would grab at the opportunity.
I then deduced that my worries were unjustified. Anthony wouldn't just barge into anything if he had been planning these under the radar projects for a long time. And leaving me behind was not an option. I was an asset to the mob, and both of us knew it.
Which brought me to the functioning of the mob; it seemed to be working in some sort of a hierarchical pyramid on top of which sat Pharaoh Anthony Murray. There seemed to be heads of different portfolios. I had, had the privilege of meeting the head of security, Ethan and my personal favorite, Cienna. It turned out that she was head of the legal businesses. There were other important portfolios as well, I had found. One was media. It was definite. To keep Anthony's existence under the wrap would take some serious influencing. I was sure I'd heard about some journalist—who was turning into the star of the nation, working for Anthony.
Then there would be a Head for the illegal trades or maybe one head for each type of business. There was only one way to find out... research. I had one definite source I could use to get the answers from. That source would be Sean, but I assumed that Ethan would be more resourceful in these matters. I believed that he'd been there longer and knew more about the secretive ongoings in the mob than most.
I remembered a guy named Alec who had been on the receiving end of Anthony's wrath when a chunk of the shipments went missing. He probably looked out for the docks... probably not that high on the social ladder, but it was a pretty important job to have. Looking after the safe passage of shipments would be a tough job.
Then there was Eric who seemed to be the head of the investigation department. When I looked closely into the matter, it made sense for Anthony to simply ask Eric to put a few boys to follow me. He didn't need a private investigator or strangers to do the work for him. I decided that I would give Daisy a call to let her know of my assumption. Maybe she had already found everything but was extremely busy with her own work to let me know.
Again, there was no use becoming too dependent on her. I could do this the old fashioned way and find out for myself. There was no need to be stuck in front of a computer screen all day long to find answers that one could gain manually and probably without inflicting as much damage to the eye as that the glare of the computer screen would.
I should have made a list so that I hadn't missed out on any of the queries that I had, but I think that would have turned out to be a bit, too, suspicious.
'So, who to call over, Ethan or Sean?'
I needed an excuse, fast. If it was Sean, I could just call him over to celebrate his kick-ass performance in the treasure hunt, even though it was a bit belated, or I could call up Ethan and demand answers from him without any hesitation. Both the options seemed pretty convincing, but I chose Ethan because that was where the undisputed inside news could be gained from. We were going to work closely for a long period of time in the near future and discussing strategy seemed like a pretty amazing thing to do.
Now, the question remained: how did one contact Ethan? I couldn't possibly ask Anthony to give me Ethan's number. That would just bring up a lot of questions that were better avoided. So, how did I go about doing it? I fired up my email and checked the people who were online. Of course, like the web addict that he was, the prince of the Organization—next in line to take the reins of his father's business, sniper Jacob Hunt was online.
---------

[Donate @ paypal.me/SunScar9 and ko-fi.com/sunscar9 to ensure I don't starve.]

Mia Vincent only wanted one thing: Kill Anthony Murray. Kill the person who murdered her parents. Only his death would satisfy her thirst for his blood.

When she was assigned the task of infiltrating his gang, she agreed willingly and started plotting the ways to destroy him. Yet she failed... miserably at that. How could she fall in love with a man who caused her so much pain? So. she ran... as fast as the wind, hoping to never see him again.

When Anthony met Mia, he fell in love with her feisty attitude and thirst for adventure. He loved her with every fibre of his being. Yet in his world, loving someone was a risk, a danger to his empire. So, he chose to hurt her... made her stay far away from him. However, he soon realized how important her existence was. He couldn't live without her.

Betrayals. Mobs. Guns. Violence. Will Anthony and Mia survive the wild ride?
.

"Are you going to shoot me, baby?"
"Don't tempt me.
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[DONATE @ paypal.me/SunScar9 AND ko-fi.com/sunscar9 SO I DON'T STARVE.]

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