Amanda Burnet stepped out of the taxi; the evening air was thick with the scent of car exhaust and fried street food. She adjusted her bag over her shoulder, and looked up at the towering Abibba Building, its glass windows shining under the city lights.
“Another long night,” she muttered to herself, sighing.
Abibba wasn’t just any building; it was the financial hub of New Haven. Banks, insurance companies, and high-end businesses filled its floors. Security was tight, and as one of the key keepers, Amanda’s job was important.
She walked through the entrance, nodding at the security guard stationed by the metal detectors. “Evening, Joseph.”
Joseph gave her a tired smile. “Evening, Amanda. Ready for another shift?”
She chuckled. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
She passed through the checkpoint and made her way to the security office. The hallway was busy, as workers were leaving, others settling in for the night shifts. Phones rang, printers hummed, and a little noise of people discussing different topics filled the air.
At her desk, Amanda dropped her bag and sat down. Her monitors lit up with live feeds from the building’s security cameras; hallways, offices, parking lots. Everything looked normal.
She reached for the key box, checking that all safes were accounted for. Only a few high-ranking officials had access to them, but she was the one who kept the master keys locked away.
“Hey, Amanda,” came a voice behind her. It was Brian, one of the junior security officers. “Think we’ll get an easy night?”
Amanda smiled, tapping the monitor. “If only. But something always happens.”
Brian laughed. “Yeah, but let’s hope tonight is boring.”
She nodded, turning back to her screens. Everything was quiet and smooth, maybe just for now.
Amanda’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes scanning the security monitors. The hallways were empty. The offices were quiet. She took a deep breath, and murmured something to herself.
And then, a very low noise filled the air.
Amanda barely noticed it at first, just a little hum from the monitors. But then it crackled.
The sound sharpened, like tiny electric sparks were crawling through the wires.
The screens flickered, the images twisting into disconnected lines before turning black and white.
Her stomach tightened. “What the hell…?”
Before she could react, the door flew open, slamming against the wall. Heavy boots stormed in. Shadows rushed through the room.
Six men, dressed in all black, faces hidden behind ski masks. Each mask was marked with bold white letters of MZ.
Guns gleamed under the fluorescent lights.
“Nobody move! Hands up!” one of them barked, his voice was sharp, and commanding.
Amanda’s felt like she had stopped breathing. Around her, her colleagues froze, eyes widened, their hands trembling as they slowly raised them. Someone whimpered. Someone else choked on a sob.
Two of the masked men walked toward Amanda’s desk, their eyes locked on her.
“You,” the taller one said, pointing his gun straight at her chest. “The keys. Now.”
Amanda’s body went cold. Her pulse pounded in her ears. She knew better than to argue. With shaky hands, she reached for the drawer, her fingers fumbling as she pulled it open.
“Hurry up,” the second man snapped with a sharp voice.
She swallowed hard, and her throat went dry. Her hands trembled as she pulled out the master keys. “P-please don’t hurt anyone,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The taller mobster snatched the keys from her hand. He scoffed. “Stay quiet, and no one gets hurt.”
Without hesitation, he tossed the keys to another man, who caught them with ease and turned toward the safes. He moved quickly without turning around, like he already knew exactly where he was going.
Amanda’s breath came in short gasps as she watched them. How do they know? She asked herself and wondered if the mobsters knew her as she was the one who kept the keys to the safes.
The safe doors clicked open within minutes. The mobsters worked fast, stuffing bundles of cash into large duffel bags.
The sound of siren was heard a little at first, and then louder as they were getting closer.
“Cops!” one of the mobsters snarled.
Chaos erupted. The men snapped their heads toward the door, they moved backward quickly, their guns still pointed at the civilians.
“Grab what you can…we need to go!”
One of them, a shorter figure with twitchy hands, grabbed a lighter from his pocket.
“What the hell are you doing?” another hissed.
“Covering tracks,” the man muttered. With a flick, he set fire to a pile of papers and folders stacked on a nearby desk.
Flames leaped, licking up the dry paper, swallowing the documents in seconds. Smoke curled into the air and screams of panic were heard.
People rushed for the exits as fire spread rapidly across the room, climbing up the curtains, crackling over desks.
The mobsters rushed out, disappearing into the smoke-filled corridors, leaving nothing but destruction behind.
The sirens blared louder, and within moments, police cars screeched to a stop outside. Officers stormed in, and they draw out their guns, shouting for everyone to get down.
Detective James Willard stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning the chaos. He spotted Amanda sitting outside, frozen, her hands still trembling.
He crouched beside her. “Miss, are you alright?”
Amanda opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Willard pressed gently.
Amanda blinked, her vision blurry with fear. Her lips quivered. “I don’t…”
Willard exchanged glances with one of the officers. “She’s in shock. Take her to the station. We need a full statement.”
An officer helped Amanda to her feet. Her legs felt like jelly. As they led her out of the burning building, her mind replayed the masked men, the guns, and the fire.
It was almost four in the morning, and Sylvania Scarlet couldn’t sleep, wondering what was going on. It seemed too early for trouble, but this was New Haven; the city that never rests. She heard people talking quietly outside, and soon, her dog Coco started licking her feet. At the same time, her alarm beeped, reminding her it was time to get up.
“Oh, Coco, did you even sleep?” she asked, smiling at him. Coco whimpered, and clearly he was hungry. “Alright, let’s get you some food,” she said, patting his head as she headed to the kitchen. After filling his bowl with dog food, Coco wagged his tail and dug right in.
The room had grown quiet after Marvin left. Only the soft sound of the city outside filled the silence. Zagaff rested his hand on the armrest, the other drumming lightly against his knee. He narrowed his eyes, and a slow, almost dangerous smile tugged at his lips.“I will soon be on your door, Nia…” he murmured under his breath, and he sounded serious, almost like a vow. “To finish off where we started.”Coco, who was still curled at his feet, lifted his head at the sound of his master’s voice. His dark eyes glistened, and his ears twitched as though he understood everything behind those words.Zagaff leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at Coco with a half-smirk. “You hear that, boy? I won’t hide myself this time. Sylvania is different… and I want more.”Coco gave a small whine, then wagged his tail, as if agreeing with him. The dog tilted his head, watching Zagaff closely, almost like he shared the secret.Zagaff chuckled softly, he reached down and scratched b
The following morning, the light poured through the tall white curtains. It was soft, but too bright for Sylvania’s half-asleep eyes. She shifted against the sheets, her hand brushing a pillow that wasn’t hers. The room smelled of expensive cologne and fresh roses. It was very quiet inside than her own bedroom, where she could hear the sound of traffic from outside.Her lashes fluttered open, and she froze. This wasn’t her room. The ceiling was high, the walls were painted in gold, and the air carried the chill of an air conditioner that never shut off. She turned her head, and there he was… Zagaff. He was already dressed and he sat at the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees.“Good morning, Nia,” he said softly, a slow smile pulling at his lips. “You sleep like an angel.” His eyes lingered on her face as if memorizing it. “I could’ve watched you for hours.”Sylvania pushed herself up, clutching the sheets against her chest. “Morning,” she murmured, her voice was rough with sl
All he could do was stare as Sylvania moved deeper into the hall below, her red dress twinkling a little with every step. He forced his eyes back to Ruger, leaning normally in his chair as if nothing had shifted inside him. His fingers drummed slowly against the table, a habit he used when trying to keep control.Ruger, sensed the change in Zagaff’s behavior but he pretended not to notice. He picked up his fork and gave a small grin. “This… this is one of a kind,” he said, nodding at the spread before them. “You don’t get this kind of flavor anywhere else in the country.”Zagaff smirked a little, his eyes turned once more to the glass before replying, “Divas Delux only serves the finest. They know how to treat their guests.”The girls beside Ruger leaned in closer, one gently resting her hand on his shoulder while the other traced a finger along the rim of his glass. Ruger chuckled, murmuring something about how they were, “and these birds beside me really know how to keep me warm.”
She didn’t appear to be angry, and she didn’t even smile; she was just surprise, she hadn’t expected to hear those words today.“…You’re asking me that now?” she said softly.Charlotte didn’t know what to say next.Sylvania closed the notebook gently, and she didn’t blink. “Charlotte… look at my face.”Charlotte lifted her eyes, meeting Sylvania’s.“This face,” Sylvania said, almost in a whisper. “Your brother was about to smash it with a bottle.” Her lips trembled slightly as if the memory still burned behind her eyes.Charlotte’s shoulders sagged. “He just… overreacted, Sylvania. He didn’t mean to do something like that.”Sylvania smiled, like she didn’t want to. “It’s time to move forward, Charlotte. Not live in the shadows of our past mistakes.”Charlotte opened her mouth to speak, but Sylvania’s face changed; like she had suddenly remembered something important. She straightened up.“Actually… I need you for something. We’re dressing someone important for the business gala next
She turned her head and looked around, trying to understand what was happening. And her throat was dry.“Who are you? What do you want?” she managed to whisper, squinting at the man before her.Victor let out a soft laugh, the kind that seemed like he didn’t want to."My name’s not important," he said, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. "But yours… well, let's talk about that." He pointed to her shirt. The name ZAGAFF printed in big black letters was stretched across her chest.His tone became serious as he leaned forward."Where is he?"Kamala frowned, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Victor raised an eyebrow. “Ashley, please,” he said mockingly. “Don’t do this. Just tell me where Zagaff is… it'll make things easier for you.”Kamala looked down at her shirt, and she felt her heart beating louder. She hated herself. Why did I get involved in this? She thought. It was just a stupid idea to get attention. She didn’t know it would lead to this.Now
Sylvania didn’t even glance at Charlotte. She kept her chin high and her eyes on the crowd of young recruits standing in front of her.She put on that smile, studying each and every one for a second before she continued. “Welcome to Scarlet Fashions,” she said with a calm voice, and she sounded friendly. “This place may look old now, but soon, it will be full of life and beautiful. We’ll see our dreams coming true.”The recruits listened closely. Some looked excited, others unsure.“I know many of you didn’t expect this,” she continued, “but this…” she waved her hand at the dusty building, “…this is where we begin. Not in a perfect place, but in a real one.”One girl raised her hand. “Miss Scarlet… are we going to design clothes today?”Another boy asked, “Where are the sewing machines?”A taller girl near the back added, “Are we really working in here?”Sylvania chuckled lightly. “Good questions. The machines are coming later today. Right now, we clean, and we prepare. That’s how eve