Mag-log inHOPEHe released me from the hug and we both turned to look at Maria, who was still standing where I left her.The expression on her face morphed from the looks of surprise, anger, disappointment to what looked like an impression.“Well played Hope. Ace Mason, I almost had your little girlfriend all over me. You should have waited a little bit longer before crashing the party. Why did you have to ruin it before the good part even began?” She said and confidently walked over to the bed and sat.The sweet, bubbly Maria I knew disappeared. In her place, I saw a venomous looking woman… a typical reflection of her father.“Don't tell me you fell for my woman already? I could leave and you get to finish what you were about to start,” Ace said, even though I knew it was a joke, I wondered how he'd love watching me and Maria get down to it.“Hope, are you okay with that?” Maria looked at me and I smiled without responding.“Bitch!” I heard her say. “You could have asked for a meeting if you w
HOPEI spent the night with Ace in the mansion. The recent events took away most of our time together and also from work at the enterprise.I even started getting weird looks from employees at the enterprise, because I skip work more than everyone else and still waltz in whenever I wanted as if I owned the place.Not like I blamed them, but they should try living in my shoes for a day, maybe their opinions would change.I had fun with Ace like it was our first night together. We both basked in each other's embrace until we left for Mexico.Visiting the vibrant country was always my dream, and finally we made it.Sitting at a rustic wooden table in a Mexican cantina, eyes drifting from one local to another trying to catch a glimpse of our star of the entire trip.The walls of the cantina were painted in bright colors, with festive paper decorations hanging from the ceiling. A mariachi band played in the background, and locals laughed over tequila shots.A friendly waiter brought out ch
ACESalvatore had the audacity to step back into my city.He didn't just step in, he crossed a line and lingered where he shouldn't have stepped foot. He kept testing boundaries I had already made painfully clear the last time we crossed paths.When he kidnapped Hope, I gave him one warning. One. Leave my territory and never return, or I would end him so completely there wouldn’t be enough left to bury.And now he was back. There could only be two reasons for that… either he thought I was too soft to threaten him, or he was too careless to recognise a real threat.I stood in my office with my palms planted against the desk, staring at nothing while the implications settled like poison in my bloodstream.Malik. He was connected to all of this, but I couldn't make sense of any of it.“How long do you think Malik and Salvatore have been in touch?” I asked no one in particular, but Bob shifted from one foot to another scratching his head like the question was directed at him.The connect
ACEOn the drive back to the mansion, my phone lit up and Cameron flashed across the screen, which was weird. He never calls me and if anything… he always texted.After a few moments of hesitation, I finally picked up.“The villa was discovered,” Cameron said over the phone, sounding distressed.“I was about to get groceries and as soon as I stepped outside, I was swept up by reporters. I managed to get away from them, but I don't know how the information leaked. It's a matter of time before the world discovers your father's illness,” he said and hung up.I had no idea what I expected to hear from Cameron, but it wasn't that.As I drove, I thought about going to the villa, but that would only fuel the rumour. Sitting and doing nothing wasn't an option either as Mason, currently wasn't safe in the villa. The attention of the reporters needed to be diverted and then we could sneak Mason out.“What's up Ace?” Bob interrupted my thoughts train when I didn't say anything after the call.“
HOPEIt was finally time to settle the score with Malik. Ace and Bob led me to the warehouse where Malik was being held.“Are you sure you want to face him now?” Bob asked and I looked at the spot where Malik shot him. “Yes, you went through a lot to make this possible, I can't keep putting it off,” I replied, hoping that my voice sounded more confident than the way I felt inside.It was over a week since the incident and Malik had been locked up the entire time, only having contact with the men that dropped off his meals.I sighted Malik tied to a chair, looking all dazed staring at nothing as soon as Bob lifted the warehouse door.He probably thought it was someone dropping off his meals again as he didn't flinch or move at the sound of our footsteps.I carefully walked around until I stood directly in front of him, my shadow looming over his head until he finally looked at me.“Took you long enough to show up,” he said, with a glimmer of hope lighting up his eyes.“You look and sme
HOPEI sat in a van with a few of Ace's men, waiting to hear from Bob and his crew.They were directly engaged with Malik and the agents and all I wanted was to join them, but Ace insisted that I stayed with the back up.As I sat in the van, my entire body was tense and restless. I couldn't stop thinking about something happening to Bob.Communication was cut off thirty minutes ago and the reason couldn't have been Bee… She was too good to make sloppy mistakes.“Are you alright?” One of the men asked me, looking at my legs that couldn't stop bouncing up and down. It was a habit, I always shook my legs vigorously whenever I felt anxious.“Should we go and see if Bob and the rest of the men are okay?” I asked, but they all disagreed.“We better wait,” one of them said.“We've been waiting for over thirty minutes. Communication is down and there's no way to reach anyone,” another said and I totally agreed.Malik could be dangerous. I always knew, but he was like a father to me and I neve







