Jia sat at her desk, her gaze fixed on the time displayed on her computer screen. It was already beyond work hours, and she was eager to get out of the hospital. But not until she spoke with the one person on her mind all day, and she picked up her phone with a smile.Swiping at the screen and scrolling through her contact list, her hand stopped at Arnold's name, and she dialed his number, praying he would pick up. And he did pick up since he finally answered after a few rings."Hello, Jia. How are you?" His seductive bass voice came through on the other end, quickly sending shivers down Jia's thighs.“Hey. I'm excellent. You?” Jia inquired."I'm fine as well. Are you at home right now, or?" He paused, expecting her to finish the phrase, which she did. “Nope. I just finished with my last patient and will be leaving soon. What about you?"“Same. Although I did not operate anyone." Jia laughed as he half-joked. He continued. "Unfortunately, I'm still here, finishing up some work. I st

Arnold's heartbeat as he stared in disbelief at the photograph. Mr. Black, a fearsome businessman with a reputation that sent shivers down even the bravest spines, had asked him to murder Mr. Kein. Arnold had just reconciled Mr. Xiu with the same Mr. Kein—the same man who had only a few days before kissing the earth's face goodbye due to his said terminal illness. And now Arnold was on a quest to assassinate him to pay off the debt he owed.The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him, and he thought he would pass out. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and his breathing became laborious. "Oh, God!" He murmured under his breath. Seconds passed, then minutes, maybe even hours, but Arnold remained silent. However, Mr. Black's commanding voice eventually broke the icy silence in the room. "Did you just hear what I said, Mr Stone?" He growled loudly, a threatening expression on his face, enraged by Arnold's lack of response. “I… I… Mr. Black, I honestly don't know what t

The hospital room was filled with a sense of urgency and tension. Jia paced back and forth outside the surgery room, her heart thumping in her chest.She couldn't understand what Arnold had told her moments before when he'd arrived at the hospital with her father.There had been a near-bomb explosion, and her father's automobile had been blasted up.What if he was inside? What if they were both inside at the same time? What would she have done in her situation? Where would she start?Arnold and her father were the two most important persons in her life then, and she couldn't take the thought of losing them. Damn! Jia swiped her hands violently over her face, murmuring incorrigible words—words that made no sense because she just wanted to do anything to distract her mind from the terrible ideas and pictures she'd conjured up inside.She ruffled her hair frantically as she continued to pace about, anticipating news on her father and Arnold's treatment. She should've been in there. She

"We heard what happened, boss, and we've come from the bottom of our hearts to express our condolences." Rocky, Arnold's second in command, completed his speech with a nod and a smile. A wave of emotions washed over Arnold as he looked around the hospital room, filled with gang members, all dressed casually and carrying bouquets and gifts. It was a subtle move to fit in with the environment, portraying themselves as friends rather than the criminals they were, and they succeeded admirably in their disguise objective. But, well, Arnold couldn't be happier. Despite their concerns and disputes, he'd come to consider these men as a part of himself, perhaps to the extent of calling them family maybe. Still, he enjoyed the connection he had with them, as well as the fact that they reciprocated his feelings. Because damn, they'd heard about the failed bomb attempt, and although the attack wasn't directed at him specifically, they'd come to visit, and if this wasn't love, Arnold had no id

"It's the tattoo. I recognize it. I know who's behind all of this.” Arnold said again, his teeth clenched as shocking wrath coursed through him. He should have known better. His assumption was correct, but the fact that someone close to him had done something so heinous hit him like a punch in the gut. How could he? How could the motherfucker hide behind some ridiculous disguise to conceal such nefarious intents and terrible intentions towards an innocent man like Mr. Xiu? Arnold was enraged by these questions and thoughts. It disgusted him to the core, and the words replayed in his head repeatedly. He could almost smell the foolery in the air, and frigid wrath grabbed him, each thought threatening to overpower and consume him whole. "You know who's behind all of this?" Sasha interrupted his thoughts, and Arnold nodded curtly. "The cretin!" Arnold hissed to himself, hands clinched, his gaze returning to the blurry screen. He wanted to double-check the tattoo on the man's wrist j