All Chapters of Kingpin's Gambit: Shadows of the Syndicate : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

"Dad! Look what I made", six-year-old Tessa Smith squealed and ran excitedly to her father's study.It was large and antique, with its huge mahogany shelf reaching the top of the room like hands outstretched to the sky. There was a big oak desk seated in the middle with sheets of papers sprawled all over the surface of the desk.There, her father sat down, his head down to the work on his desk.Upon hearing Tessa's tiny voice, he looked up and smiled broadly; a smile that was found on a man who had just met his lover after so long. With a wave of hands, he motioned her to come further into the study."This must be an amazing work of art that made my little princess so excited. Now, what do we have here?" he remarked, peaking into what she was holding in her hands.She giggled, showing off a few missing teeth. "I created an invoice for a business transaction", she responded, proudly showing the sheet of paper in her hands.James left his seat and crouched to her level, taking the paper

A servant appeared at the entrance of Tessa's door; she knocked and entered. "Your presence is required sir, ma. The policemen have arrived and they are waiting""Alright Mina. Please stay back and look after Tessa" Kiera spoke instead with James glaring and fixed a sturdy eye on Mina, making her uncomfortable."If what Tessa said is true, I'm beginning to lack trust in these staff" he blurted out, his eyes still fixed on Mina. The latter shuffled her feet backwards and lowered her head."I....I....I will do as you have said ma'am" Mina stuttered.Kiera noticed the tension and decided to ease the environment; she was uneasy as well but didn't want to show it. "Common babe, we have to get freshened up. We don't want to keep them waiting; we also need lots of rest. Besides, I'm also exhausted" she pulled James out of the room and went in the direction of theirs.One could see the servant cleaning one spot or the other; there were the security personnel were inside as well, inspecting th

The weeks that followed were horror for Kiera after she saw the encrypted text on her phone.'Tread with caution, the things you say and do. For it may likely cost you your life or that of your loved one', the text read."What's going on with mummy? She's been cranky for a long time" Tessa looked up at her father who was scribbling words on a text.James wondered too but he was hesitant to check her phone, it would be an easy thing to do only that she was never known to be secretive ever since he married her.He decided to give her time to come clean, or maybe, he was scared of what he might be faced with.Fidgeting, checking her phone and looking over her phone was something she never thought she would do in her entire life. Not even when she was always on the screen.James and Tessa looked at her in worry as she was looking thin with fear."I really don't know love. I'm worried as well, I've tried to ask her many times but she's out of my reach" he mumbled, a little less audible to