MasukSome thirty-two years ago,"Mr. Khan, where are you going?" A middle-aged man chased after a young man dressed in an old-money, luxurious, perfectly straightened suit.Harlod forced a sigh past his lips and paused. He turned back to the young man hurrying after him."Graham, I just need a break. Can you not follow me?" He stared at the man with pleading eyes."But Mr. Khan..." Graham trailed off, the words dying in his throat when he saw the deep seriousness in the man's eyes.Graham released a breath in defeat. "If anyone asks of you, I'm going to tell them you've gone on a business trip."Harlod smiled. "Thank you, Graham.""Anytime, Mr. Khan. But you must call and update me on how things are going, and tell me if you need any help, okay?""Okay, Graham. I will," Harlod replied before stepping inside the car and driving off.This was something Harlod had always discussed with Graham. He had always wanted to leave because he was tired of the sophisticated life and its repeated, prete
The vehicle rolled to a halt on an empty cliff. Gareth and Ayden stepped out of the car and moved to the back seat. Ayden opened the door and helped Gareth pull Isla out, she was still tied to the chair.A few feet ahead stood Damien, leaning against a tree. A man sat on the ground beside him, duct tape covering his mouth, his hands and legs tied. His former assistant, Hugo, stood next to him.Isla was on blindfold, she could barely see what was happening or where Gareth had taken her to but she could feel the danger. She couldn't scream, but her mouth was sealed with duct tape, and a blindfold covered her eyes. Never in her life had she been in a situation like this, so terrifying that she could almost taste death."Hand over the man, Damien, and you get your princess back," Gareth called out.Damien was here? Isla's brain registered. She wished she could see him. It was crazy, she just found out the man has been lying and using her once again but she still wanted to see him."How ab
Isla still struggled to lose herself free despite Gareth making it clear that she couldn't escape. And what was more frustrating was, he wouldn't stop talking."Sometimes you act like you're smart, and then you go ahead and surprise me with your stupidity," Gareth said slowly as he walked around behind her.And he was right. She was stupid. She knew the kind of man Gareth was, yet she still followed him blindly without the security that had been provided for her. It was moments like this that made her question herself."What do you want from me, Gareth?" she asked through gritted teeth. "Why won’t you just let me go? You wanted the money, and I gave you the money. Fulfill your part of the deal and let me go!"Gareth laughed loudly at her words. The next second, his expression turned serious as he stepped closer, his face suddenly inches from hers."You don’t get it, Isla. I can’t let you go because I love you.""You don’t love me," she disagreed, shaking her head firmly.His face dark
The room was dark, blurry, then dark again, then blurry once more. Something felt wrong, but she couldn’t quite place it. It was like she had been sleeping, but in an uncomfortable, unnatural position."Wakey wakey, wifey," a familiar voice whispered into her ear, and her eyes snapped open.She was sitting on an armrest wooden chair in a large, empty basement. She tried to get up, but her body felt heavy. Looking down at herself, she realized why she was uncomfortable; she was tied to the chair.Her eyes widened in alert, and she struggled, twisting her body, trying to break free, but it was of no use. The rope grip was like an iron chain."And there’s no way you can sneak and cut yourself out. This was tightly secured, you’ll need more than a simple knife cut to get out of this," a voice said behind her.She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Gareth.Her mind raced back to how she ended up here. After failing to reach Damien and inform him that she had gotten the two hundred b
Isla raised the bill, staring at it closely like she was dreaming like any second now, the paper would disappear."You want me to pinch you for a reality check?" Bridget said beside her.Isla still couldn’t believe the two hundred billion dollar check in her hand was real. It was two hundred billion someone’s generational wealth sitting in her palm."Where did you get this kind of money? Don’t tell me you sacrificed everything you own."Bridget chuckled. "Look at me, Isla," she said, pointing at herself. "I’m still fine. And you’re not reacting the way I thought you would. I expected you to be halfway to Gareth by now, shoving that money down his throat."Isla blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She couldn’t stop the overwhelming feeling rising in her chest. She couldn’t believe she was holding the very thing that had kept her tied to Gareth for so long a two hundred billion dollar check."Come on, don’t be a crybaby. The Isla I know is strong as hell," Bridget said, lips twit
The continuous ringing of a phone woke Isla from her sleep. Stretching her hand to the side of the bed, she picked it up. The name Bridget, along with a young woman's picture, appeared as the caller ID.She sat up straight and answered the call the next second."I thought you weren't going to answer me. Seems like you're enjoying yourself, spending quality time with the love of your life," Bridget said from the other end.Isla creased her brows, then figured she must have meant Damien."We're not... I mean, he's not—""You don't have to explain yourself. I have something for you, and I need you to come over as soon as you can," Bridget interrupted. Before Isla could ask another question, the line disconnected.She got out of bed and washed her face before stepping outside. As usual, Damien was in the kitchen making breakfast. It had become his routine now, and this time, he made plenty."Whoa, what's the occasion?" she chuckled curiously."I just felt like cooking a lot today," he shr







