There she was, about 22 meters away. The scene contained 2 dead bodies that looked really chopped up, four of his security guards and his personal assistant, Beatrice, hugging… the girl. Nathan saw her. His body became weak and numb. He could no longer feel his knees, and so he crumpled to the ground. His breath came in shallow gasps. He had planned for this moment, envisioned it a thousand times. How he would stand tall, collected. How he would welcome her like the powerful man he had become. But now? Now, he was just Nathan. Not Mr. Frost. Not the ruthless mastermind who built an empire from the ashes of his pain. Not the ghost who had haunted the nightmares of those who betrayed him. Just Nathan. And his little sister was standing right there. For the first time in years, he felt exposed. Vulnerable. Human. Beatrice pulled away from Kamsi slightly, brushing tears off her face as she turned toward the kneeling man. “Boss?” her voice cracked, but Nathan didn’t respond. Kam

Alex’s body went numb for two reasons. Firstly, her stomach was bloated. Secondly, it was Vanessa. His eyes bulged out, and he looked to Megan, who gave him a sly smile. Finally, their eyes interlocked. Alex could breathe her anger. It was like he was standing next to a fire, a hot lava, and one push from an inauspicious wind could lead to an untimely death. “You!” he said to Megan before taking slow steps to his ex, who was not official. Finally, they were sharing the same oxygen and staring eyeball to eyeball. “V.. Vanessa. I… Look, I know that…” Slap! Alex held his face. He felt humiliated. But he had to try one more time. “Vanessa. Whatever you think is not true. I…” Slap! Slap again. Slap the fourth time. This got onlookers making videos of the lady slapping the man at the airport. Alex could do nothing. He was trapped. His security guards were not with him, and he was in an open space; he could not raise hand or voice against a pregnant woman. “5 months, Alex Reed. 5

“I… I’m sorry, Loulou. But this is it! You remember when you I used to carry that firewood back in Egypt? And then, I would… I would, um, fall and trip over? Then you would say, ‘Abni, adhhab wastriha. ead ghadan wasawf takun 'aqwaa’?” “Then I would run back home and cry. Ha!” Alex sniffed in. “I think this is the time, Loulou. I am falling. I am tripping over, and I cannot stand by and watch all that we have built crumble. I have no one left, Loulou. Vanessa has left me, Megan she… she is a fucking snake and had been a betrayer.” “All the people I called friends are fucking leeches. Parasites. I will be returning back to Egypt, Mom, but not for long. I will be back. Stronger and better.” Cozbi just lay there, eyes shut, breathing slow and paced. Alex was not sure when she would wake up or if leaving her was the right decision. But he smelled danger. First of all, Vanessa had actually been around all those times, and then Megan, whom he thought was going to be his salvation, turned

“You said you wanted to see me?” Asked Marcus, panting. He had been running. He dared not disappoint Mr. Frost or make him wait. Especially because Mr. Frost had been cold towards him for a while. Marcus was not sure why Mr Frost would tell him to meet him at the cemetery. He literally just returned from a journey, not a vacation trip, a work trip to Dubai and he had been there for over 1 month, alone and away from all social connections, online and offline. “Did you bring your girlfriend as I requested?” asked Mr. Frost. “Yes I did, sir.” Marcus responded and signalled for April to come over. This was yet another strange thing. Why did he request for April too? April walked up to them and greeted Mr. Frost respectfully. Mr. Frost looked into her eyes and smiled, the type of smile that came from past lives and would live on for millions of years. His smile was so endearing, thought April, the very first day she met him. There was an aura he exuded that was so… so familiar, so

Alex Reed struggled to breathe as hard as he struggled to see. He looked around and could barely see a thing. He was in a dark room and whoever the fuck put him there was merciful enough to place a dim light above his head, just enough for him to see his own breath. He tried to move, but his body was numb, and yes, he was tied to a chair, so he could not move. He had been captured. He tried to recall the last incident that happened to him. He was in his car, driving to the airport for his departure, and then he was drinking… Yes. He was poisoned by a man who was not Mark, his driver. Someone had ambushed him, and now, he was tied up to a stupid chair when he was supposed to be on the seat of his private jet. Clearly, it was Megan. Alex had been humiliated to the core already. He had Vanessa slap him ruthlessly in public, diminishing his pride, lowering his esteem in front of the whole world. Then, he had Emma threaten him. This was not right. This was not the Alex he had envision