THE HUSBAND THEY MURDERED

Threat from a nobody

Alejandro Castillo had gone berserk with rage . Hearing about the failed gold exploit felt like a slap to his manicured power and authority.

Anger mixed frustration, pulsing through his body. He grabbed a flower vase from the centre table, hurling it across the room where it shattered against the wall.

"You bunch of nincompoop," He hissed, saliva spraying from his lips. "You couldn't handle a simple job! A fucking simple job!"

His voice echoed the building, resonating fixtures.

Scarface and his men stood in his front like fools, their head dropped low as shame burned on their faces.

Alejandro dragged his finger through his hair, pacing the living room as though he was about to go insane. His power had just been insulted. He was threatened by some barbarians who he could bury with just a simple command.

But the reality had contrasted his against his power, and that felt like a huge slap to his face.

He spun. "How can one man. One single ancient hag takes down all of you," His finger jabbed at the men. "Ten of you. Armed with weapons. You all are a bunch of incompetents!"

Scarface lifted his head gently, barely looking Alejandro in his face as embarrassment wore another mask on his face.

"We tried our best, Boss," His voice dropped, mortified. "But the man is not ordinary. The way he fought..."

"Cut the crap," Alejandro cut him off harshly and charged in his direction. He grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, shooting him a laser glare. "Listen, you have just two days. Two fucking days to bring me that bastard head or I'll have your head off your neck. All of you! You bunch of incompetent rascals." He shoved him, spun around and stumbled away.

Scarface and his men stood still without moving an inch as tension weight over them like gravity. Alejandro's threat hung in the air— Sharp and concise. Bring his head or I'll have yours if you fail again.

They're trapped between the devil and the blue sea now. The second chance was supposed to be a lifeline, but it felt like a vivid trap. Kael's threat looped in their head like a cruel nightmare.

He'd dared them to step into the forest again, and they'll all face a brutal consequence. On the other hand, Alejandro would have their head if they fail the second chance.

This was a dilemma.

They have just two days. Two days of ultimatum to bring gold and Kael's head. Otherwise, they'll have Alejandro to contend with.

The men looked at one another with warry glances, obviously detached from the whole mission. The money they collected felt like their own burial f*e now.

They had been working with Alejandro for two years now to know he had never eaten back his words once it spilled.

Scarface forces his head to stand straighter. His gum was still aching from the slap earlier that had five teeth scattering from his mouth. He'd only witnessed that kind of action in movies only, but

Pride and fear warred with vengeance. No one had dared to stand in the way of his operation. Not even when he wasn't armed. But a barbarian had broken him and his men even when they were armed with guns. "Let's go get ourselves treated for now before we plan on what to do next."

Alejandro stumbled inside his room, anger effusing all over him. He slammed the door shut, pacing the room like a wild cat who lost a fight to a rat.

The sheer weight of his men's failure to bring in the gold supply and the threat from the unknown nobody enraged him. His fist connected with the wall mirror with a sickening crash and the mirror shattered completely to the floor. His knuckles burned, blood dripping from the cuts, but he didn't bulge.

His jaw tightened. "Who the heck is the bastard who threatened me? I Alejandro Castillo.." He paused, laughing darkly. The next second, his expression turned grave, his fist curling and shaking at the side as he snarled. "I'll have him burned to ashes!"

He paced the room.

For two years. He'd been mining golds from the unknown land without authorizations. No government licence. No ownership consent. It was coerced resources exploit.

As he paced, his mind reeled, wondering who the man who dare stand in his way was.

But how could he know it was the same man he thought he'd eliminated.

He was too lost in the shamble of his mind that he'd hadn't noticed his phone buzzing on the bed all along.

Seeing the lightening screen, he walked to the bed and picked up the phone. His stomach lurched the moment his eyes caught the screen.

Messages flooded his email account, each one a dagger to his stomach.

REFUNDING REQUEST

EVICTION NOTICE

BOND INVESTIGATION

COMPRISED AGREEMENT

Alejandro's finger started shaking on the screen, his eyes widening as it darted from one message to the next.

Text messages littered likewise, the notifications flashing with sharp ping as more piled up, each one a stab to his gut.

"You're compromising business now, Alex."

"Two day. You have two days to refund my money if you won't deliver the gold in the next 48hrs."

The messages piled on the screen from investors and clients he'd promised dividends, and from clients he'd promised gold delivery.

This was a threat to his major company— AurumX.

The night is getting heavier. Heavier with something unknown. First, it was a threat from a nobody. And now his company is being flagged red by his clients.

Sweats shimmered on his head in the full air-conditioning room. His finger quivered with anger and frustration as he pulled a call across to Scarface.

The phone pressed on his ear as he paced in the room. "Listen, you incompetents," He growled into the speaker, his voice brooking no argument. "I'm giving you 24hrs to bring me my supplies. 24hrs! Otherwise you'll lose more than a man! You hear me!"

"And I need cameras installed at every angles of the forest. I want 24/7 surveillance of the land.

I want to see the face of that bastard who had the guts to challenge me!"