Novels by zaligma.writes

Luke looked at Carlos, who was calmly staring back at him. The way the man questioned him already gave Luke a hint that Carlos might be suspicious of his identity.Luke slowly lowered his hand. At this point, there was no real reason to keep pretending.“Do you know me?” he asked, narrowing his gaze.Carlos chuckled again, and the sound carried an obvious hint of arrogance.“Not really. But yes I do,” he said.He casually reached under his desk, picked up a pack of cigarettes, and lit one.Luke frowned the moment he saw it.There was literally a sign inside the office that said ‘No Smoking Allowed’. It was also standard policy in companies like this that employees were not allowed to smoke during working hours, especially inside an office.On top of that, he was the Chief Security.Was he not worried that Pauline might suddenly come back and catch him doing this? Or that Bernard might walk in for an une

“I think I know him,” one of the employees said. “I saw him the day before yesterday.”Everyone immediately turned toward the speaker. Even Ken, who had been standing stiffly in place, could not help glancing in that direction.“Even Mr. Bautista treated him with respect,” the employee continued. “He even fired the two guards who disrespected that guy.”“Yeah, I heard about that too,” another chimed in. “But I don’t think it was entirely because he respected the guy. The guards were clearly at fault for almost beating him up.”“Right,” someone else joined in. “I think that man was applying for a job, but the guards bullied him because of how he dressed. Mr. Bautista got mad about it.”The gossip quickly picked up again. The employees began trading theories, each offering their own guess as to why Bernard had treated Luke that way despite his apparent lower-class appearance.Well, that was the conclusion they reached, judging by t

People in the lobby of ENDX Corporation could not help staring at their executive manager. Especially the men.Pauline Lee stood there quietly and elegantly near the entrance, as if she were waiting for someone to arrive. In her hand was a semi transparent paper bag.She had always been beautiful, but today she looked even more stunning. For the first time anyone could remember, she was wearing noticeable makeup. Nothing too heavy, just enough to make her already striking features stand out even more.Her pencil skirt was shorter than what she usually wore. Her blouse was also tighter than usual, subtly outlining her figure.It was not difficult to see why the male employees in the lobby kept glancing in her direction.But that only raised an even bigger question.Who exactly was she waiting for?And more importantly, did she make the effort to dress up like this for that person?A few moments later, a yellow ENDX RT car entered through the gate and drove straight toward the front of

“Mr. Cruise, are you alright?” Bernard asked through the rearview mirror. “Is something wrong?”Luke shook his head. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”“Alright.”Bernard let out a quiet sigh and returned his attention to the road.He was simply worried about Luke’s mental state. The young man had been staring out the window the entire time. He hardly blinked.And honestly, who could blame him?Luke had almost been kidnapped. On top of that, he had been right there when those armed men were slaughtered.Ever since they found him in the parking lot, standing beside the surviving leader of the group, Luke had barely spoken. He looked like someone still trying to process what he had just witnessed.Naturally, they assumed it was trauma.Even now, as they were heading back to Quezon, Luke remained quiet. When Bernard asked him something, he would answer occasionally. Most of the time, though, it was either a short reply or a simple nod or shake of the head.What puzzled them even more was the leade

They ducked and hid behind whatever cover they could find nearby instinctively.“Sh*t! What’s happening? Are they already here?” one of the armed men said. The worry in his voice was obvious.Even the leader seemed to have lost his composure, though he remained silent. It looked like he was thinking the same thing Luke was. Duncan’s men should not have arrived yet.So who, or what, was his subordinate shooting at?Luke felt a hint of concern.The lives of the people inside the building were still at stake. If someone was attacking these men now, it could push them into doing something reckless. And that included detonating the bomb.As more gunshots echoed through the darkness, both Luke and the leader grew more uneasy.The leader worried that someone might have managed to call for help. Luke, on the other hand, worried that the man might panic and trigger the bomb.Because of that, he kept his eyes on him.

“Ten seconds...” the man shouted, louder than before.The dining hall went completely silent.For many of the guests, the only thing they could hear was the sound of their own hearts pounding in their chests.Some of them glanced at the woman the man was pointing his gun at. There was pity in their eyes. She had been the unlucky one chosen first.The first one who would die.After a moment, most of them looked away. They simply could not bear to watch what was about to happen.Damian swallowed hard.“Five seconds,” the man announced again.This time he glanced toward the second floor, as if expecting Luke to suddenly appear there.Damian’s shoulders slowly sank. He shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth.For the first time in years, he felt completely helpless.“Four...”He was a member of the Barlowe family. Duncan Cruise’s son-in-law.And yet he could not do a