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CHAPTER 103: LAUGHTER IN HIGH PLACES
LAUGHTER IN HIGH PLACESThe television flickered, blue light flashing across the room as the grainy footage replayed for the fifth time. Flashing cameras blurred the motions sharpened by slow motion edits as the newscaster read from the teleprompter. Vanessa laughed as she watched Damien's fist connect with Don Rafael Moreno's jaw, sending him crashing into the table. The sound–loud, unrestrained, almost disbelieving–echoed through the room as she leaned back against the worn-out cushions of the hotel suite couch. “Oh, my heavens," she gasped between laughs, one leg folded under the other. She swirled the glass of wine hanging loosely between her fingers as she points at the screen right when Brooks jumped at him. "Look at him,” she shrieked, jumping in her seat. "Look at his fucking face!”On screen, Brooks was pinning him down, raining blows on his face. The video switched between three camera angles, all displaying the chaos erupting around the duo. The news anchor’s voice dron
CHAPTER 102: IRON BARS AND QUIET BETRAYALS
IRON BARS AND QUIET BETRAYALSDamien groaned as he stirred to his side. He heard something crack and he stopped. A wave of pain flashed not across his side, followed by a strange cold sensation. It wasn't the sharp, biting kind, but the slow, creeping cold that seeped deep into his bones and refused to leave. The feeling… it came from under him. He turned again with a low grunt, feeling the cold from the metal bench beneath him creep through the thin fabric of his bloodied shirt and wrap itself around his aching ribs. The feeling only sparked the memory from last night–a reminder of every blow he had taken from Brooks. His eyes fluttered open slowly. Dim light from the single bulb hung from the ceiling flickered softly before dying out with a pop. He could still hear it buzz faintly, the sound echoing across the holding cell like it was struggling to stay alive. Turning to his side, he was met with dull concrete stained with age and neglect. Across from him were the iron bars th
CHAPTER 101: A TOAST TO THE DEAD 3
A TOAST TO THE DEAD 3“It is sad to announce to you all that from the reports reaching me," Benson continued, his voice turning somber, “we just lost a brilliant mind. A victim of a gang shootout, his body was found offshore from the city's docks." A murmur rippled through the crowd as every one began to ask who it was. But Damien just remained still, watching Benson with a narrowed gaze. “He was a man whose contributions to this city's financial growth can never be overstated," Benson went on, already lifting his glass. "He was the host to the banquet that announced our dear Ms. Elara Veyra as the bell ringer of that month. To our dear, Mr. Ryan Chen. May his legacy live on.”“To Ryan Chen,” the crowd echoed as they all raised their glasses too.The rims glinted against the chandelier light as soft clinking echoed across the place. But to Damien's ears, the sound rang too loud… too fake. His grip tightened around his glass again, but this time, it didn't crack. It shattered. The
CHAPTER 100: A TOAST TO THE DEAD 2
A TOAST TO THE DEAD 2Damien slipped through the sea of dark-colored tailored suits and shimmering dresses, moving through the path he created with his outstretched hand. Conversations dimmed as he passed and a few heads turned, their whispers trailing in his wake. At the center of this calm storm stood Don Rafael Moreno. His posture was relaxed, calm and he looked every bit the king of the city. A single unlit cigar rested between his fingers as he smiled widely at the people flocking to greet him. But behind that calm, Damien saw something far colder. Something that only prompted him to walk faster. Brooks stood just behind the Don, his posture relaxed but his sharp gaze tracking Damien's approach with a quiet interest. “Don," Brooks said, tapping Rafael on his shoulder. “He's coming." Don Rafael turned away from the crowd before him to Damien walking towards him. “Ah," he drawled, spreading his arms slightly as if welcoming an old friend. “If it isn't the devil himself." Dam
CHAPTER 99: A TOAST TO THE DEAD 1
A TOAST TO THE DEADJust hours ago, Damien had been knee-deep in stitching Ryan's wounds shut and bandaging the bullet holes, but now, he was standing in the midst of wealth and power. The transition felt almost… obscene. Crystal chandeliers glistened like starlight overhead, raining its soft golden light over the cast ballroom below. Chuckles and cheers swept through the place as waiters in pressed uniforms weaved through the crowd, carrying trays of champagne. Damien, dressed in a velvet suit, stood where the calm chaos was felt the least, at the edge of the hall. He held a glass of untouched whiskey l as his stoic gaze scanned the room. Elara stood arms locked by his side. She has changed again, wearing a deep emerald gown that clung elegantly to her frame. Her hair had been styled quickly but perfectly and her presence was commanding without trying too hard. Damien had suggested coming to the banquet held by the city's minister of finance, claiming it was needed to clear thei
CHAPTER 98: SHADOWS AT THE DOCKS
SHADOWS AT THE DOCKSThe night outside passed by coollly, the hustle of life beneath them a rhythm of familiarity. But inside the room, tension had settled between them–heavy, palpable. Elara had moved from the foot of the bed to thhe couch by the wall. Ryan’s constant crisis and the blooming red spots all over his bandages body only made her chest tighten. A soft sigh slipped out her lips as she clasped her hands tightly together. Damien had just finished explaining everything that had happened–Ryan’s disappearance, the hospital escape, the body at the docks, the clipped ear, and Ryan's discovery.When asked why he hadn't told Jim about Ryan being alive, he claimed he wasn't sure the commissioner was to be trusted again. He explained how Jim had reacted after asking about the audio tape and Elara was just dumbfounded. All that followed his last sentence was silence. Ryan now laid motionless on the bed, his breath steady than before but still strained. The slow rise and fall of hi
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