"Move it, Loser! That mop smells stale, just like your life," snapped a young, neatly suited employee as he passed.David Vexley was a 35-year-old man, 185 centimeters tall, with a masculine face, broad shoulders, and arm muscles clearly defined beneath his faded blue uniform.David paused, tightening his grip on the mop handle. He lowered his head, swallowing the remnants of his long-shattered pride."I'm sorry, sir," David mumbled softly.Before David could even take a breath, footsteps approached."David!" Sarah called out sharply. "Mrs. Maura is calling for you. Now!"David's heart pounded."What is it, Sarah?" David asked, wiping his hands on his pants."How should I know," Sarah scoffed, walking away.David walked with his head down toward the large teak wood door at the end of the hall. The gold nameplate read: Maura Lannigan, a 29-year-old woman with a voluptuous, Spanish guitar-like figure, a General Manager.Knock... Knock!"Excuse me, Ma'am...""Come in," a heavy, husky voi

Hours after David’s death, Camelia and Robert scrambled to carry a large plastic bag to a river. Camelia’s eyes now stared at David’s corpse inside the black plastic, filled with terror.She was afraid her secret affair would be exposed, afraid the public would know she was involved in her husband’s death, and most importantly, afraid she wouldn't be able to collect David's insurance money.“Robert, are you sure this is safe? That no one will ever find out?”Robert sighed, scanning their surroundings. “Camelia, calm down. Now hurry up and help me dump this damn corpse, or someone will see what we’re doing!”Robert’s words were a spur that forced Camelia into action. The crazy couple finally managed to throw David’s body into the river, then both rushed back to the car.*“David, don’t blame me for choosing Robert. Blame yourself for showing up at the wrong time. If only you hadn’t come, everything would have been fine... you wouldn’t have had to die like this,”* Camelia thought inside

A stench of despair greeted David the moment he descended the concrete stairs behind a butcher shop in Queens. "The Red Velvet."Dim red neon lights illuminated the cramped basement. Thick cigar smoke billowed, and the clinking of coins, shouted curses, and the whirring of slot machines formed a deafening background symphony.Franky walked behind David, hugging himself as if he were cold."Dave, seriously," Franky whispered, his eyes darting nervously, scanning the giant guards stationed in every corner. "This place belongs to Sal 'The Knuckles.' He's Don Moretti's subordinate. If we get caught cheating, they'll turn us into sausage filling at the shop upstairs."David ignored him. He walked straight, despite his ragged clothes, his blue eyes locked on a single point: the Roulette table in the center of the room."I don't need luck, Franky," David murmured softly. "I have math."He stopped at the edge of the green table. The dealer, a thin man with a red vest and shifty eyes, stared a

David held back Elena's aggressively writhing body as she tried to embrace him. He gazed calmly at Don Moretti, though inwardly he cursed Grandpa Zypher for the drug's side effects."The poison froze her nerves, Don. My medicine reignites them with the fire of life," David quickly explained, fabricating a makeshift scientific alibi. "This is a temporary side effect. Her adrenaline and hormones are surging to fight the toxin. She is hallucinating. She doesn't realize what she's saying.""It's hot..." Elena whimpered, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Her hands fumbled across David's chest, tracing down to his abdomen, desperately seeking release from the strange, torturous sensations wracking her body. "Don't leave... please..."David gently but firmly pushed Elena's hand away, then turned to Don Moretti."She needs an energy release, or her heart will explode from over-stimulation," David stated seriously. "I must massage her pressure points to flush out the remaining toxins t

Silence.Still kneeling, Sarah picked up the papers, gaping. Maura froze, her brain struggling to process the words she had just heard."Termination... what?" Maura let out a forced, awkward laugh. "What kind of joke is this? You're firing me? I'm the best General Manager you have! Quarterly profits are up five percent because of me!""We are not the ones firing you," Mrs. Halloway said, pointing to the ceiling, a gesture toward a higher power. "The direct order came from the building owners. The Moretti Group."Maura's face went white. "Moretti? But... I've never dealt with them directly. Why would they want to fire me?""They didn't give a specific reason. The instruction was brief: Remove Maura Lannigan from our property within fifteen minutes, or Titan Corp loses the building lease," Mrs. Halloway explained without sympathy. "We chose the building over you, Maura. Naturally.""No! This is insane! You can't do this to me!" Maura shrieked. She snatched the envelope and tore it in ha