Jack's hands gripped the steering wheel, eyes transfixed on the road. Right now he was speeding to the hospital, tears streaming endlessly from his eyes. As if Mary's betrayal was not enough, his mother had died on the same day. At this point, it was already clear the universe was against him. He'd finally lost everything that mattered dearly. Whatever spark of hope he had left… it had been snuffed out in a whiff, like a dying breath. The car tyres screeched to a halt when he reached the hospital premises, drawing the attention of everyone present. He jumped out briskly, forgetting to turn off the ignition, and rushed into the hospital. He arrived when the nurses were covering his mother’s corpse, Margaret weeping beside her. His sister's face was wetted by so many tears, eyes lowered. She didn't even look up, even when he came in. Jack faltered just as he entered the room, eyes fixated on the corpse. Even till her last moments, his mother still had her peaceful expression. Jack

The van drove toward a warehouse, pulling over slowly. The three men alighted, one of them opening the door for Winston. As the burly loan shark stepped out of the van, it groaned… as if finally relieved of the weight.“Stupid van!” Winston cursed while fishing a cigarette from his pocket. “It's high time I got a new one for businesses like this…”Apart from being a loan shark boss, he also dabbled in other illegal activities like gambling, human trafficking, and fraud. He had several companies set up around the entire Kansas City area. He'd been prosecuted several times, but he always got acquitted by corrupt judges bribed beforehand. Hence, he got away with all his crimes.Even the police knew better not to mess with Winston; he had several friends and clients in the government, powerful firms, and companies. A single call from one of those individuals would make them lose their jobs for life.“Boss, should we take her into the warehouse?” One of his henchmen asked. He was the one w

The lounge was silent for a brief moment. Jack stood before Winston, a cold expression on his face. Behind him were the driver and Jane, who wore expressionless faces. It seemed they'd encountered situations like this, hardened into tough hides.Margaret, on the other hand, was bewildered. Her eyes kept darting between her brother and the two unfamiliar people with him. She still didn't understand the situation and wanted her brother to come clean. But, it seemed as though he was not ready yet.With narrowed eyes Jack stopped before Winston, looking into his eyes. The burly and arrogant man didn't seem so powerful now. He was shivering, breaking out in cold sweat.“W-we can still talk things through, Jack,” he said, finally finding the courage to speak. He gulped a mouthful of saliva afterward, afraid he'd be disposed of by Jack.“We can talk, huh?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Does that work out well for your debtors?”Winston swallowed hard, lips trembling. “I-I can tell you everything!

Jack sat at the tempered glass table with his younger sister Margaret. The table was filled with several dishes, and waiters were coming in with more bowls.The girl's eyes drifted from one dish to another, pupils trembling. She looked up at Jack who appeared calm and confident, then back at the dishes.How did he get the money? She asked herself. He was bankrupt just a few hours ago…The waiters offered to help them full service, but Jack waved his right hand, “There'll be no need for that. Tell your manager we need some alone time.”“Y-yes sir!” They replied with trembling voices, as if rehearsed. Their eyes remained fixated on the ground till they exited through the elevator.Margaret observed everything, her mouth agape. She glanced at Brandon who was standing silently, hoping for some explanation. But the man remained still and silent.The other woman, Jane, had gone off to do some business deals which Jack had requested. So, she was nowhere to be found.“Is something wrong, Litt

An hour later, Margaret's eyelids fluttered open, her eyes drifting across the lounge. She saw her brother sitting beside her, his legs crossed and arms spread on the backrest. Jane and Brandon were nowhere to be found, so she figured out he'd sent them on important errands.“You're finally awake, Little Sis,” Jack said, glancing at his gold Rolex wristwatch.“I'm sorry,” she said, sitting up. “I felt sleepy… I didn't know when I slept off.”“There's no problem with that,” he said. “You can sleep as long as you want.”Margaret smiled and rubbed her eyes, saying, “You seemed to be in a hurry earlier.”“Huh? Me?” He raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about. Or was she still awake back then…?“Yes, I saw you,” she said. “You wanted to head out, but changed your mind.”“Oh,” Jack laughed, scratching the back of his head. “It's actually nothing…”“Jack,” she frowned, crossing her hands. “If you won't tell me the secret about your wealth, at least be honest about this.”“Well