All Chapters of Stealing the Wrong Treasure: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

The Gilbert Group, with Bradley Gilbert at its helm, was a name that sent shivers down the spine of anyone in the city. He was known as the Reaper, a legend among both cops and criminals."You want me dead?" I asked."It's a tough job; that's why we came to you," Black Viper said before he then turned to leave."You've got a month to get ready. Oh, and Bradley's got a lady friend, Rosemary Baker. She's his Achilles' heel."The door slammed shut.I just stood there, my fingers instinctively curling around the beads I had always worn.I had lived in what they called an orphanage for as long as I could remember, though it was nothing like the ones seen in storybooks.All I knew was that I had to complete whatever dirty work the Handler threw at us if I wanted to eat.Sometimes it was easy stuff, like stirring up trouble in a crowd.Other times, it was tougher, like helping the older kids mug someone who was out alone.Getting caught meant a brutal beating.The kids who were bro

Chapter 2

However, his defiance was like a mosquito trying to stop a giant. It did not take long before he was thrown to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth, yet he yelled out to me."Keep living! You have to keep living. I'll find you."Curled up in pain, his blind eyes fixed in my direction, his forehead veins standing out starkly.I could not grasp why he was so worked up.All I could tell him was, "Look after yourself. When I make it, I'll come back for you."As they led me away, I heard him call out, "What's your name?"However, all he got in return was the whisper of dust settling back to the ground.In that place, we were numbers, not names.I ended up sold to a criminal ring, thrown into a vicious world where only the strongest survived.They trained us in disguise, combat, firearms, and high-tech gadgetry.Fail a mission, and I would not go hungry; I would just be waiting for death.After surviving the cutthroat life of the syndicate, Old Fox started sending me on jobs

Chapter 3

The auction kicked off.I tuned out the early lots; my interest piqued only when the auctioneer's voice rose with anticipation."And now, the crown jewel of tonight's event: the Mermaid's Tear pink diamond!"As the lights dimmed and a single spotlight shone on the stage, a pink diamond the size of a pigeon's egg emerged, casting enchanting lights around the room.I inhaled sharply, my hand poised over the switch.Three, two, one……Darkness swallowed the room.Screams pierced the air, panic spreading like wildfire.I ripped off the vent cover and slid down silently.The moment my feet touched down, I was already at the display.Three seconds.That was all it took to disable the security, the diamond's cold sensation settling in my palm.Suddenly, an ear-splitting alarm shattered the silence.I cursed those weight sensors.Backup lights snapped on, bathing the venue in a stark, unforgiving glow.The thud of metal echoed through the air: every exit had slammed shut at once.

Chapter 4

Ripping open the dossier, a photo immediately caught my attention: the backdrop was the orphanage from back in the day.There stood the little blind boy in the corridor, lips pressed tight, his young face shadowed with a gravity beyond his years.My eyes drifted down to another photo: there was Bradley, sharp-suited, his gaze icy, in front of the Gilbert Group's skyscraper.I stared at the two eerily similar faces.Bradley was the little blind boy?Old Fox watched me with a sly grin, slowly starting to speak, "Bradley, the boy you've been searching for, the Gilberts' long-lost illegitimate son, wasn't always blind. After you were trafficked, his uncle found him, brought him home, and his sight was restored with surgery. He later exacted a bloody revenge on the Gilbert Group for his mother's sake."Ever since he could see again, he had been on a quest to find a girl from his orphanage days. Three years ago, he was sure he'd found her."My hands shook uncontrollably. I wondered, '

Chapter 5

His face filled the screen, looking so absurdly large that I almost laughed, but my face would not cooperate.The door burst open with a bang that throbbed in my ears. Bradley stormed in and yanked the gag from my mouth, his fingers digging into my jaw. "Where'd you get this bead?"His eyes were bloodshot and scary. I could not tell if he was pumped up or scared out of his wits. Scared that my answer might just confirm the dark hunch he could not bear to face.I did not give him the satisfaction of an answer, just locked eyes with him and mustered all my strength to say, "My name is Harriet."That was the answer I never got to give him when we said our goodbyes, the name I later gave myself.He froze, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. I watched his throat bob up and down, but no words came out.He fumbled to untie me, his hands shaking so badly he could not even catch the ropes. He glanced at my right hand, a mess of blood and flesh, tried to lift it, then pulled back, over and

Chapter 6

The doctor, then in scrubs and sterile gloves, delicately peeled back the blood-soaked gauze, layer by layer.Bradley stood at the end of the bed, his hands gripping the rail so tightly his knuckles whitened.He could not take his eyes off my bandaged right hand.After a long silence, the doctor stood up, peeled off his gloves, and let out a weary sigh."Her fingers are shattered, nerves are severed, and tendons are ripped... Surgery might bring back some basic strength, but she'll never have fine control again."Bradley's face went pale as if the blood had drained right out of him.He hesitated before he asked the doctor, "Can she still draw?""Mr. Gilbert, I'm not a miracle worker," the doctor said, sighing.A heavy silence fell over the room.I just stared blankly at the ceiling.I had known what was coming ever since those thugs in the basement made their move.Getting back even the simplest grip would be enough for me.However, Bradley looked like he had been gutted.

Chapter 7

Three months later, I swung open the doors to our hideout.Black Viper paused polishing his gun as I walked in. "You've got some nerve coming back here.""Where else can I go?" I retorted with an icy laugh. "Bradley's got a hit out on me. I'm a marked man."He gave me a once-over, his eyes lingering on my gloved right hand. "Hand's out of commission?""Completely." My eyes fell. "Can't even grip a paintbrush."Without another word, he turned and headed inside. "Old Fox is waiting for you."The basement was dimly lit. Old Fox lounged on the couch, casually flipping a dagger in his hand."Made it back, huh?" He glanced up at me. "Thought Bradley might have finished you off.""It was close."I took a seat across from him. "He wrecked my hand and had me locked up for three months. I'd still be there if the guard hadn't slipped up."Old Fox cracked a smile. "So, you've seen the light? Ready to team up?""I don't have much of a choice," I said, locking eyes with him. "However, I'v

Chapter 8

Rosemary's fingers lingered on the rim of the glass for a heartbeat.She raised the spiked red wine to her lips, her smile serene, reminiscent of a pristine white lotus.The glass made its way to Bradley. "A toast to you, Bradley."He accepted the glass, his eyes briefly catching the subtle tremble of her fingertips. Without a word, he raised the glass to his lips and drained it in one swift motion.Rosemary's gaze fell, and she tapped her spoon against the rim of her now-empty glass three times: a clear, sharp sound that was lost amidst the clinking of glasses, yet it struck a chord in me, sending a jolt through my heart.It was the signal. Time to move.I navigated the crowd with a tray in hand, my eyes darting to the hall's entrance.New faces filed in, all business in their sharp suits and polished shoes.One of them stood out: a notorious figure from the underworld, known for his illicit dealings.Old Fox's crew was complete."Ladies and gentlemen," Bradley's voice reson

Chapter 9

Darkness reigned for a mere ten seconds.When the lights blazed back to life, the hall was swarming with figures clad in black, their guns trained on Old Fox and his cronies.Caught off guard, Old Fox's men were swiftly and efficiently disarmed."What's going on?!" Old Fox's voice rose as he smashed his glass on the floor.On the platform, Bradley rose to his feet with deliberate slowness.He casually loosened his tie, the facade of a man weakened by poison then completely discarded, his gaze sharp and icy.He rotated his wrists, fixing Old Fox with a chilling stare that turned the latter's face ghostly white."No way..." Old Fox muttered, fixated on Bradley. "You...you drank it...""What if I did?" Bradley cut him off, fishing out a small vial from his pocket and tossing it at Old Fox's feet. "Ever wonder what Rosemary really gave me?"Old Fox stooped to retrieve the vial, his hands shaking as he unscrewed the lid and took a whiff.It was only plain glucose."You..." He sho

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