"I'm sorry I couldn't hold her back, she insisted on going to wherever she was going alone”
"Did she mention where she was headed?” "No, Mr. Jasper, she didn't say a word of it. She just left her things in the car and left" “Hmmm, alright Josh. You can take her things to the house, I'll be there in 5” Jasper said as he hung up in anger. He tightly pursed his lips, his face had a stony expression, and his eyes had a distant gaze. He was pissed, he couldn't recall when the last someone disobeyed his orders, but his newly married wife did. No one disobeys the CEO of Maksoft technology, absolutely, no one. Seated in the taxi, Luna's mind raced, her heart was heavy with a mix of relief and fear, and the car, even though it was moving fast, seemed to be moving slowly toward her. Each red light, each slow car in front, seemed to extend the agonizing wait. Luna walked briskly to the room where her mother lay, her face pale and drawn, but her eyes were open. Luna rushed to her mother's side, tears welling up in her eyes. "Mom, are you okay? You're awake." Her mother's hand, frail, reached out and squeezed Luna's. Doctor Mark approached, his expression grave. "She's stable, but she's still quite weak. We'll need to monitor her closely." He explained the potential complications and the long road to recovery. Luna listened with a heavy heart. Although she was aware that the road ahead would be difficult, she also knew her mother was a strong woman. With a newfound feeling of optimism, she sat by her mother's bedside and held her hand. “How are you feeling mum? Does it hurt?” Luna asked anxiously. "I'm fine Luna, I'm fine” her mum replied weakly. "Are you sure you're fine, please tell me if you need something.” "Not at all, dear. What happened, why am I here Luna?” Sandra asked, looking a bit confused. She didn't remember falling sick let alone lying down on a hospital bed. Everything looked strange and the scent of antiseptic that lingered in the air, made her almost throw up. “Calm down mum, please calm down. Don't worry you'll be out of here soon. Just try and get well soon, everything will be alright,” Luna assured her mother. She didn't want to break the news to her yet, she was still weak and fragile and such news would break her more. Rest a bit let me get you something to eat mum. “Luna, please take me out of here, I don't like this place, please take me out of here Luna." Her mum looked frightened, she had always hated hospitals and this was no exception. “You're not strong yet mum, don't worry we'll leave once you get better, I promise. But you need to be strong, please be strong for me Mum, please." Luna pleaded, a tear almost dropped down her chin but she fought so hard to hold it back. “Alright, if you say so." Luna’s mother replied, a pinch of disappointment could be heard in her voice. A nurse came in and administered some drugs to her, it was needed as the drugs helped calm her nerves. Elena stared at her frail mother and shook her head slightly. “At least she's awake" Luna mumbled under her breath. Luna, not wanting to leave her mother's side, stayed with her all night, checking on her at intervals. Luke arrived at the mansion before Jasper got home, he carefully brought Luna's belongings out of the trunk of the car, he was very careful in handling her stuff, he didn't want to damage any of things, they were all packed together and there was no way he could differentiate which one's fragile and which was not. After bringing them out from the trunk, he moved them into the mansion. He wasn't sure where to keep them so he decided to leave them in the sitting room while he sat and waited for his boss's arrival. The maid, a lady in her 30s, noticed someone come into the house, she left the dishes and rushed to see who it was. “Good day Mr. Luke, how are you today?” “I'm fine Ariel. Thank you” he replied with a warm smile. “You're here to see Mr. Jasper? He's not home yet but he'll be here soon." "Thanks, Ariel, I'm aware of that, I just brought home his wife's belongings.” "Oh, that's right. But… I can't see her or is she coming with Mr. Jasper." “About that… she'll come alone" Luke scratched his head a little not knowing what to say exactly. “Alright. Mr. Jasper asked me to get her room ready earlier today, you can as well keep her things there, that's if you don't mind.” Ariel said politely. “Yes, please. Where's her room?" "It's this way. Come with me.” Ariel replied as she led him to Luna's room, Luke followed behind carrying Luna's belongings. “She's not here yet?" Jasper stared at the large clock that hung on the wall of the sitting room. It read 11:05 pm. He had been sitting in the sitting room since he came back. “Or is she no longer interested in the contract? Is she scared of me? Was I too harsh on her earlier today? Hmmm, does it matter? It doesn’t matter, of course, she had to be taught some manners." Jasper pondered loudly as he paced back and fought in the sitting room. He held his bottle of vodka in one hand. “She's a poor girl and she needs the money, there's no way she would leave just like that, her bags and stuff are here.” He spoke under his breath as he walked slowly to his room. Luna’s eyelids fluttered open, she felt a wave of drowsiness come over her. She was briefly dazzled by the bright hospital lights. She blinked many times as her eyes gradually adapted to the antiseptic setting. A sharp jolt of memory pierced through her. Her mother. She’d been here, keeping watch. But what about… “Wait a minute, am I missing something? Argh…” Her eyes and mouth widened in realization. “Jasper...”Two Months After The Shootout The courtroom had been silent when the judge read the sentence. Life Imprisonment Alexander Mason, once a feared man, had sat expressionless as the verdict was delivered. His fate had been sealed—the culmination of years of crime, deceit, and brutality. The United States government had wasted no time in securing his extradition. The evidence against him was overwhelming: the murder of Jake Morgan and Jung Yen, the torture and grievous bodily harm inflicted on Sebastian’s mother, Luna, Lin and his funding of a terrorist cell (Black Sentinel).There had been no grand farewell or dramatic objection from him; just a simple nod as the gavel came down, condemning him to a lifetime behind bars. His reign of terror had ended. In the weeks that followed, Thomas and Sebastian worked closely with the local authorities in Vietnam. With Alexander gone, the Black Sentinel crumbled, their remaining members either arrested or fleeing into the unknown. The contraban
Five Hours EarlierThe convoy moved steadily along the winding dirt road, a line of black Humvees and trucks kicking up clouds of dust under the gaze of the moon. Inside one of them, Sebastian sat with his hands bound, his jaw clenched. Lin and Luna sat beside him, equally restrained. Across from them, Alexander Mason sat, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Sebastian had expected many things when Alexander’s men had dragged Luna, Lin and him, bagged their heads and tossed them into the van, but the sight that greeted him when he had reoriented himself was not one of them. The moment his eyes landed on her, his breath caught in his throat.“Mum?” His voice cracked, disbelief rendering him momentarily frozen. Her eyes widened, and before anyone could react, Sebastian lunged forward, pulling her into his arms. Her thin frame trembled as she clung to him fiercely, her silent sobs shaking her body. “You’re alive.” Sebastian whispered, as he deepened the hug.Alexander chuckl
Thomas adjusted his night-vision binoculars and focused on the camp below. Locating the camp after Jasper's direction wasn't hard, coupled with the fact that they had high-tech surveillance devices. The camp was a hive of activity, armed personnels moving swiftly in all directions. From their vantage point, he and his team had a clear view of the entire setup. The black tent in the center caught his attention again. Jasper had been clear. That was where Sebastian's mother was being held.However, getting into the camp wasn't going to be easy. It was heavily guarded and its location in the centre of the camp was a tactical nightmare. Thomas arched his brow as he noticed a pattern. There was a tall, bearded man, immaculately dressed, who strolled leisurely around the camp. As he walked, soldiers paused and slightly bowed to him in respect. This led Thomas to believe that the man held some sort of high authority. He was definitely the top dog in the camp, the shot caller. Thomas zoo
Sebastian’s head hung low, blood dripping from his temple. His wrists were raw from the metal shackles that bound him to the wooden post. His body screamed with pain from the beatings, but he had endured worse. He would not break. He just hoped that Jasper had been able to escape and call for help.Lin was slumped beside him, barely conscious. Her face was swollen, her lip split open. They had fought. They had endured.With a venomous stare, he spat out a lump of blood on the boot of his torturer. The torturer was a bulky, dark man who had been tuning them up for days in search of information. He had proven to be an unyielding captor, and the fact that Sebastian and Lin refused to talk infuriated him. A knock vibrated the door. The torturer's attention snapped to the door. He had instructed his minions not to interrupt him whenever he was at work. With an irritated voice, he snapped.“Who's there?” He bellowed.No response.Sebastian and Lin exchanged weak glances. They were glad fo
Jasper’s breath came in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the dense undergrowth. Twigs snapped underfoot, branches tore at his arms, and the darkness seemed to press against him from all sides. After running and simultaneously scanning his environment for hours, he had done it.He had escaped the camp.But now what? Realization dawned on him. Adrenaline had driven him out of the camp, but now that the rush was fading, reality set in.Where the hell was he?The jungle was vast and like a green void. He had no compass, no map, and no idea how far he had run. He sighed as he mentally facepalmed himself.He had been so reckless.How was he going to locate the shore where the boat had been hidden?He forced himself to keep moving. There was no turning back. As the hours stretched into days, Jasper’s pace slowed. His legs burned, his lips cracked from dehydration, and his stomach twisted painfully from hunger. No food. No water. The sun was relentless, beating down on him thro
Jasper had begun to believe his father had abandoned him again. Days had passed without any word from him. It was therefore surprising when his father strode into his tent on a cold evening. His father stood at the entrance of the tent, a smug look on his face. Jasper hated how unaffected Alexander looked. He clenched his fists. “Where are my friends?” “They’re fine.” His father replied him, his voice devoid of emotion.Jasper studied him. He didn't believe anything he said.“I want to see them.” His father exhaled through his nose. “That won’t be happening.” Before Jasper could retort, Alexander held up a hand to cut him short. “I didn't come here to banter words with you. I came here to give you a choice.” Jasper’s jaw tightened. “What choice?” “You leave this island. Tomorrow morning, a helicopter will arrive. You’ll board it, and you’ll forget you ever saw me.” Jasper stared at him in disbelief and confusion.“Excuse me?” He inquired.“You heard me.” Jasper let out