Amanda didn’t know how long she had been walking. Her feet were burning in her heels, and her thighs were very sore from Luther’s roughness, and her pride? Oh that had left her hours ago. The only thing keeping her going now was rage. Blinding, bitter rage, and a bit of hope. Wherever she went, they were always people to call her names and take photos of her. The most pleasant ones were the ones who stopped to stare and whisper, as somehow, they news had gotten round. Amanda was now #1 most hated person in the country. A young man stopped her, staring into her eyes. She tried to walk around him but he still blocked her way. Frustrated, she stomped the ground. “What do you want?” “I want to fuck you.” He said brazenly. “Are you crazy? I’m not a whore!” “Everyone else says otherwise. Or is it money you want?” He asked, waving his card in her face. Amanda groaned as he took a picture of her. “I can goon off to this later.” He was about to side stepped her when in r

Devin’s Rolls-Royce pulled smoothly into his private underground parking garage as Dreykov went to open the car door for him. The deal was sealed, the mayor's invite was sitting in the glove box, and Devin had every reason to feel at the top of the world. He got out of the car, loosened his tie, and stretched slightly, smiling. He was about to see his gorgeous woman. “Anything else you need sir?” Dreykov asked. “No, thank you.” “I’ll park the car and be with you shortly.” Dreykov said. Just as Devin was about to head towards the mansion, Viktor came out of nowhere. “You’re late.” Viktor said, folding his arms with a frown on his face. Devin scowled. “How did you just do that? And you’re not my timekeeper.” “You haven’t responded to my last few messages.” Viktor continued. “We need to talk about something urgent.” Devin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “About what, Viktor?” “The portal. It has to be opened, and you need to—” “No. I already t

The shopping mall Klaus picked wasn’t just high end, it was obnoxiously elite. The place was full of chandeliers, glass floors, heavy perfume scents, and workers who looked like they hadn’t blinked since their shift started. Amanda strutted through the entrance in designer sunglasses and a skin tight black dress that screamed. Klaus walked beside her in a navy suit with no tie, chewing gum and looking around like he owned the planet. “This place smells like desperation and overpriced lotion.” Amanda said, turning her nose up at the scent of vanilla and citrus. “It’s not desperation.” Klaus replied, barely glancing at the employees who’d stopped everything to bow their heads. “It’s fear. Fear that we’ll speak.” Amanda smirked. “As we should.” The first boutique they entered had a staff of five, all standing in a perfect line. A blonde salesgirl walked up with an overly fake smile. “Welcome to Odets, madam, sir. May I assist you with—” “No.” Amanda cut her off sharply

Devin walked into the party, looking like a shadow in the middle of diamonds. He didn't care about any of that, but he would have felt much better if the interaction outside didn't happen. The ballroom was massive, and more impressive than the outside. Everywhere was glittering with gold walls, beautiful velvet curtains, crystal chandeliers that sparkled like gods had sneezed stars into the ceiling. You could tell that it wasn't the kind of money just anyone could buy. Rich laughter could be heard all over the place followed by the sight of impressively dressed men and women and the smell of expensive perfume mixed with large egos. Devin kept his cap low, and his hoodie zipped halfway, blending in with the servers. It was an intentional. He wanted to observe before he made an entrance there, and right now, the room was a perfect painting of power and pretense. And pleasure too. It seemed like a lot of people were enjoying themselves while others were merely boasting of their trait

The mayor had Devin escorted to a private lounge upstairs in the mansion, one of those VIP-only spaces that were designed for extra special deals and handshakes that shaped cities and built legacies. The plush carpet soaked up the noise, the lighting was soft, and there was a private bartender standing silently near the corner. Mayor Richard County entered behind Devin with two aides trailing him like nervous men. They had seen the showdown and were afraid to do anything that could get them in Devin’s space. As soon as the door shut, Richard sighed and rubbed his head. “Wow, that was a big mess.” He muttered. Devin sat down slowly in the leather armchair, legs crossed, arms relaxed. He didn’t speak. He just watched and listened. “Listen, Mr Stone— Devin.” The mayor corrected himself quickly. “I want to sincerely apologize again. Dean Carson is a prick, we both know it, but this? Tonight he crossed the line, and I’m deeply sorry.” “I’ve dealt with worse, it’s alright now.”