All Chapters of Ex-Convict To Mysterious Power : Chapter 151
- Chapter 160
173 chapters
Chapter 151
Amanda almost snapped. Almost. God help her, she almost let the real Amanda jump out. Maybe don’t call the woman an old hag, but it was sitting right at the back of her throat.“I want to change, granny. If you can give me another chance—”“I said get out of my sight!” the matriarch snapped again, her eyes burning holes through Amanda like she wished she could slap her into another century.“I want to be a good granddaughter to you,” Amanda muttered, voice small but steady. “If you can give me just a little chance, I promise to be better. If you can—”A laugh echoed from the hallway.Amanda’s head lifted slowly, dread curling in her stomach. One of her uncles walked in, a smirk plastered on his face. If humiliation had a face, it looked exactly like him.Why did she listen to Cole? Why did she agree to this stupid, degrading plan?She looked at the door again.Cole hadn’t moved. He was still there.Still wat
Chapter 152
Amanda sulked around the house the moment they got back. She didn’t say a word to Cole—not in the living room, not in the kitchen when they hurriedly whipped something together for dinner. Not even a glance.They sat across from each other, eating in thick silence, when Cole heard a sound at the door. A soft thud. Then another. Scratching.He didn’t need to think twice.Billy.From the rhythm alone, he knew it was him. And immediately, his chest tightened. He was worried—genuinely worried—that the moment Amanda saw the dog, she’d completely lose it.Now when you have a dog and you have a wife, who do you prioritize in a situation like this?Obviously… not the dog. Right?But poor Billy kept hitting the door, whining softly, scratching like he’d been abandoned. If Cole didn’t open it soon, the dog might actually start sensing that something was wrong.“I have to… bring Billy in,” he said carefully, almost asking for permission.No response. Not even a shift in posture. It felt like he’
Chapter 153
“Amanda, I have a plan, okay?” Cole started quickly. “And I promise you’re going to fall in love with the plan.”“I have never ever worked as a cleaner all my life!”“Oh, Amanda, is that the problem?” Cole walked over to her. “That’s nothing hard at all. It’s even fun. You’ll get a lot of experience.”She darted him a stare that could have killed if looks were weapons.“You’ll be able to add it to your portfolio even.”“Don’t get on my nerves, Cole. This isn’t funny,” Amanda snapped. “I might snarl at every single one of them tomorrow. Arghhh!”She suddenly screamed. “Cleaner??”She pointed at him. “How can I work as a cleaner????”Okay. That was good, Cole thought.Much better than silence.“I can’t do it!!”“You can,” Cole countered immediately.“Are you me?”Cole shook his head.“I can’t do it. I’ve never done such a lowly job all my life. Do you know who I am? I’m a celebrity, for crying out loud!” She scoffed. “What if one of my fans sees me?”“Research.”Amanda laughed—but it wa
Chapter 154
Cole’s phone beeped on the table. Reaching for it felt harder than usual with Amanda asleep on his chest. She had been too scared to sleep alone in her room last night, and he hadn’t had a choice but to let her share his bed. So far, only she seemed oblivious to the effect her presence was having on him.Who sleeps in the same bed as her husband and expects nothing to happen? Amanda Whitmore.It was Scarface calling. He answered quickly.“Sir, some men are coming for you today. Matteo called me just now. They plan to abduct you. I’ll send some of our men to make it as safe as possible, but we can’t go up against them directly. We’ll do our best.”“Okay,” Cole muttered.“Matteo doesn’t know why they’re doing this, but we suspect it’s because of the ring.”“I know. I’ll handle it. See you in a few hours,” Cole said before hanging up.Amanda stirred, clapping her hands to turn on the light. She squirmed slightly, glancing at Cole.“Congratulations on your first day at work,” he said husk
Chapter 155
7:30 a.m., Cole was fumbling with his phone to call Bella when he noticed headlights creeping behind him. Prison's instincts kicked in. Just then, Scarface’s call came in. “You’re cornered, sir. The car to your right, the one on the left, and two up front—they’re the ones. Our men are around too, but I wanted to warn you.”Cole’s stomach sank. Too many cars. Too many men. Too early in the morning. The streets would soon be packed with workers and commuters—this wasn’t going to end cleanly.He swerved down a narrow road less traveled, and, as he’d predicted, the tailing cars followed like bloodhounds.“Five cars, sir,” Scarface warned. “All armed.”Cole pressed the accelerator harder. His pulse raced. “They won’t shoot unless they know you’re safe,” Scarface added. “The ring… they want it, but they don’t understand it. You’ll need to stay alive.”Cole’s eyes darted to the rearview mirror. Two of the cars surged ahead, trying to box him in. The road emptied—eerily quiet. He eased the
Chapter 156
Cole met with the men and Scarface at the building. Scarface walked over and bowed, handing him what they found in the car. Just a phone.“We unlocked it,” Scarface said. “But I think you should see what’s inside yourself, sir.”Cole took the phone, one brow lifting slightly. A phone? The screen lit up the moment his thumb brushed it. Just like Scarface said—it wasn’t locked.There was a message.Sent an hour ago."If it gets too dangerous to bring him over, lead him however you can to the book inside. To unlock Phase Two. That’s all we need from the ring."Cole frowned. Phase Two?He looked up at Scarface. The man’s expression mirrored his own confusion.“I thought the Masters must have told you something about it,” Scarface said carefully.“There is no Phase Two,” Cole replied. “The ring does exactly what you’ve seen. Nothing more.”He paused. “But what book are they talking about?”Scarface turned his gaze toward the building.The sacred one.The structure only the ring could open.
Chapter 157
Cole shook his head. “This is my first time hearing about it. If we want to know what they know, then we pretend we already know.”Scarface opened his mouth to object—then stopped. Cole wasn’t someone you argued with. Not when his mind was already made up. Still, a bad feeling churned in his gut. It had to be a trap. He had never, ever heard of the ring possessing any power beyond levitation.A few minutes later, Cole was dialing the only number on the phone.The line crackled faintly before a voice came through.“If you wanted to see the ring,” Cole said calmly, “you could’ve just called me. Invite me to a meal instead of causing a scene.”Silence answered him.Cole glanced at Scarface.“Since I’m a bit bored,” he continued, unfazed, “let’s meet in one hour. I’ll be waiting for you.”He named the location.Then he ended the call.“Let’s move,” Cole said, already turning away as he walked out of the room.Scarface was one step behind Cole. Cole had barely taken his second step outside
Chapter 158
Cole’s phone rang while he was still a short drive away from the meeting point. One glance at the screen made his chest tighten.His mother’s doctor.He exhaled slowly. He was supposed to be focused on the researcher, on the person who knew more about the cure to his mother illness—but he needed to get this over with. Fast. If he didn’t figure out the truth behind the ring and this so‑called Phase Two, there was no guarantee his mother was safe.He couldn’t afford anyone tracing him because of the ring. Couldn’t afford them circling back to her.Cole answered the call carefully.“Hello, Cole,” the doctor said. Her tone made him pause—too calm, almost hopeful.“Good evening, Doc.”“Well,” she continued, “have you been able to get any information on the researchers?”“Not yet,” Cole replied.“All right. To save time, some of the doctors—Michael and the others—reached out through a few contacts. We managed to get a number.”Cole straightened slightly.“One of the researchers,” she added.
Chapter 159
“Hey—what’s going on?” Marcus said over the line. “Remember the necklace the Masters gave me before they were arrested? I only started wearing it two days ago, but it’s… moving. Like it’s reacting to something around my neck.”Cole stayed silent, waiting.“One of the Masters gave me his necklace as a vow,” Scarface said quickly, filling in the gap. “To keep the brotherhood alive. Marcus got one. I got the other. Just the two of us.”Cole’s gaze shifted back to the bar entrance.So who the hell was powerful enough to make the ring—and the necklaces—react like this?They stepped inside carefully.The bar was almost empty. Too early in the evening for a crowd. The air felt still, expectant.Cole’s thumb brushed his phone again—accidentally redialing the number.This time, the ringing didn’t come from his ear.It came from the middle of the bar.From a table where a woman in a brown coat sat alone.Cole stopped.The researcher?That’s her?What did she have to do with the ring… with the M
Chapter 160
“Is that why you needed to see us… and all the chaos this morning?” Scarface barked, voice sharp. “Who the hell sent you? I wouldn’t believe you’re the boss of those men who were hunting us this morning.”“You’re right,” she said calmly. “I didn’t send them. But there’s someone your Masters worked with before they went to prison. That’s who sent the men you saw today.”“Was that the only question I asked?” Scarface snapped.The woman hesitated, eyes fixed on him, like she was weighing whether to speak a truth that could cut deep. Then she shifted.“I was one of the people who helped create this ring,” she admitted. “I worked alongside your Masters. The others involved… they’re all dead. Explaining why… would take too long right now. I lost my voice in the process. Once I regain it fully, I will tell you everything I know.”Scarface’s eyes narrowed. “And now? Thought you were getting it back. Wrong?”She lifted her hand from Cole’s, and silence returned. “How long will it take?” Scarf