2023-05-29 15:37:43"Ugh!"
Andrew jolted, his eyes snapped open. He looked around and the bloodstains on the walls reminded him of the altercation with Orlando. Strangely, Andrew didn't feel any pain in his body. In fact, he felt much fresher now.
His hand reached for his head, still leaving traces of blood. But the wound has healed. "Shit. How is this even possible? I thought I was badly hurt."
As if disbelieving the situation he found himself in, Andrew rose and approached the mirror in the corner of the room.
"I'm okay. But... Where's my necklace?"
Andrew felt his neck, and the necklace that had been with him for almost 20 years was gone. He had no idea that the heirloom necklace from his family was what gave him the power to be reborn.
"Oh no, I lost the necklace from my great-grandmother. Argh! Everything I had is gone!"
However, the bloodstains on the walls and his body that felt so different slowly brought Andrew to memories of decades ago, to be precise just before his grandpa died.
“Andrew, wear this necklace. Take care and don't lose it. It will help you, when the time comes, no one will be able to beat you.”
Andrew then widened, he again felt his neck and muttered. "Is it all because of the necklace that grandpa gave to me?"
The ringing of the cellphone was then heard and interrupted Andrew's reverie, he immediately went to take the cellphone and found a call from the deputy director of the company where he worked.
"Hello, sir."
"Andrew, can you come to the office now? There are some things we need to discuss."
"Yes, sir. I'll be there soon."
"Great, I'll be waiting for you at the office."
Andrew furrowed his brow and muttered, "Maybe I should tell them what I heard from Orlando earlier. I can't stay silent and let them trap me."
He threw his phone onto the bed, then walked toward the bathroom to clean himself up. The photo of him and Nadine displayed on the wall near the kitchen in his apartment seemed to emit a different vibe. Andrew used to always feel excited when he saw his lover's smile, but now, it only left him with disappointment.
"You're the worst woman in my life, Nadine," he murmured.
**
Thirty minutes passed, and Andrew arrived on the fifth floor of his office to meet the deputy director. His steps appeared confident and self-assured, disregarding the cynical and condescending gazes of the other employees.
"Good afternoon, sir," Andrew entered the deputy director's office, bowing his head.
However, his confidence was disrupted when he saw Orlando, who was none other than present in the room as well.
"Ah, Andrew. Hello, thief!" Orlando greeted sarcastically.
"Andrew, please have a seat."
Andrew tried to stay calm and focused on the deputy director, who invited him to sit next to Orlando. However, Andrew's mind began to suspect the purpose of this summons.
"Mr. Douglaz, you should just speak up to Andrew. It's not good to let a thief like him stay in this company for too long. Surely, you don't want him to successfully take all the employee data, right?"
Andrew turned to Orlando, his anger no longer containable, and he said, "What do you mean, Orlando?!"
"Andrew, you're fired."
Andrew's eyes widened as the words came out of the deputy director's mouth. His gaze shifted away from Orlando. He looked at the white-haired deputy director and asked, "I'm sorry, sir, but what happened? What did I do? If this is all because of the adult videos found in the presentation earlier, it's all a misunderstanding. I didn't do it, and it was a trap set up by Orlando. I heard everything he said to bring me down, sir!"
"I'm sorry, Andrew, but we found evidence that you stole Mr. Orlando's data and sabotaged his identity, causing harm to Orlando and his family. There is enough evidence to make you leave this company," the deputy director replied.
"I didn't do anything, sir! Clearly, this is all a trap orchestrated by Orlando to get rid of me! Can you explain what benefit I would have from sabotaging Orlando's identity and files that I didn't even know existed?"
"Enough, Andrew! You're just jealous and bitter because Nadine no longer wants to be with you. You deliberately hacked into my social media accounts, changed the existing identities, and sent numerous embarrassing portfolios to my colleagues! Don't deny it! Do you want to destroy our family? Well, my father really liked you and wanted to give you a better position than what you have now."
Andrew stood up and pointed at Orlando. "I never did any of that, and you know it!"
"Andrew, calm down! Fighting against what has been decided will only worsen the situation. Our decision is final and cannot be questioned. You have to be fired. If you still don't believe it, let me show you the evidence," the deputy director said. He handed Andrew several sheets of paper filled with photos.
There, a social media platform displayed a user with Andrew's name and photo offering a significant amount of money for Orlando's data. The next sheets showed conversations between Andrew and a man believed to be a hacker hired by Andrew to hack and sabotage all of Orlando's social media accounts.
Orlando wore a sly smile and said, "Looks like he wants more evidence. I'll bring it to you, Andrew."
The man in the blue shirt got up from his chair and left the room. Meanwhile, Andrew spoke to the deputy director again, clasping his hands and saying, "Sir, you have to believe me, this is all Orlando's trap. He's angry because his father wanted to give me a good salary and position. Besides, he also attacked me. The wound on my head can serve as evidence of his cruelty earlier. I--."
The door opened again, and Andrew stopped his sentence as he saw Nadine entering with three other men.
"Okay, Andrew. This is real evidence of all your crimes. I prepared this so that you can't deny it and admit your mistakes. Nadine knows about your plans, and everything is recorded in the conversations on Nadine's phone. Furthermore, these three people are a group of hackers who have breached my data. So, what other excuses do you have, Andrew?"
Andrew looked at Nadine, the woman he loved, as she raised her head and put on a scornful expression. Andrew clenched his fists and turned to the deputy director. The thick-mustached man shrugged his shoulders and said, "Andrew, you are fired. And you will pay the company for all damages. Total 500,000 dollars."
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4-63
"Our intelligence confirms Elena crossed the river province border at midnight," Viper said, tapping the edge of the holographic display. A red marker blinked on an ancient, fortress-like estate nestled deep within the northern valleys. "She didn't run to a shell company or a hidden bank account. She went straight to the main compound of the Tang Clan's inner circle. They’re sheltering her, Boss. If we cross that provincial line, we aren't dealing with corporate mercenaries or corrupt city officials anymore. We are entering the territory of a warlord family.""I didn't expect her to hide in a hotel," Andrew replied, his voice calm, measured, and stripped of the jagged strain that had plagued him for weeks. He adjusted the leather strap of a newly forged weapon harness across his back. "Elena knows exactly what I’ve recovered. She knows that as long as I breathe, the Smith-William name cannot be buried."William sat in the high-backed wooden chair at the edge of the map table, his gnar
4-62
The iron blade collided with the Shaman’s skeletal claws. Sparks—bright, erratic bursts of amber and crimson electricity—showered the walls. The sheer impact sent a shockwave traveling up Andrew’s right arm, tearing the partially healed muscle fibers in his shoulder. He groaned, his boots skidding back three inches, but he didn't lower his guard."Foolish boy!" the Shaman’s multi-layered voice roared, the shadows at his base twisting like striking serpents, snapping at Andrew’s legs. "The artifact requires an unblemished vessel! A mortal body cannot handle the friction of a broken seal! You are burning your own life away!""Then I’ll make sure you burn with me," Andrew rasped, his eyes flashing with a deep, blood-refined crimson.He twisted the hilt of his sword, utilizing a close-quarters parry to slide the steel blade along the Shaman’s elongated fingers. With a sharp, sudden snap of his wrists, Andrew sheared off three of the blackened bone fragments embedded in the Shaman’s right
4-61
The private elevator plunged down the shaft of the Smith-William tower like a falling stone. Inside the metallic box, Andrew collapsed against the mirrored wall, his breath coming in ragged, shallow wheezes. The momentary surge of raw power that had allowed him to overpower Orlando and flash-step across the boardroom was completely gone.His body was paying the price. His left shoulder, twice wounded, was bleeding heavily, the dark crimson soaking through his torn tactical vest. His bound ribs felt as though they were grinding together with every expansion of his lungs. But as he reached into his tactical pouch and felt the cold, metallic cylinder containing the violet neurotoxin antidote, a grim smile touched his bloody lips.He had the cure.The elevator doors hissed open at the subterranean maintenance level. Viper was already waiting, his submachine gun lowered but his face taut with anxiety. Two 'Ghost' unit enforcers stood behind him, scanning the shadows."Boss!" Viper rushed f
4-60
Through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls of the grand boardroom at the end of the hall, the scene looked pristine, a stark contrast to the violence on the floors below. Ten members of the Smith-William board of directors sat around a massive, rectangular table made of petrified wood. At the head of the table stood Orlando, wearing a fresh tailored suit, though he couldn't completely hide the small piece of medical tape covering his fractured jaw from their encounter in the garage. Beside him stood Elena, her expression calm, precise, and utterly cold as she adjusted a stack of legal documents under the glow of the recessed lighting.Two elite Tang Clan enforcers stood guard at the double mahogany doors, their hands resting on the grips of their concealed automatic weapons. They spotted Andrew the moment he cleared the corner.Before their arms could lift, Andrew’s right hand whipped upward.Pfft. Pfft.The suppressed pops were swallowed by the low rumble of the thunder outside. The fi
4-59
Down in the subterranean maintenance tunnels beneath the financial district, the air was thick with the smell of stagnant water and industrial grease. Every movement was an exercise in pure willpower. The temporary surge from the Crimson Catalyst was entirely gone, and his body was paying the price for the structural damage he had sustained. His fractured ribs throbbed with a rhythmic, dull agony that threatened to steal his breath, and the flesh wounds on his shoulder were stiff and burning.But his eyes—once a flat, defeated grey—now held a sharp, dangerous glint of erratic amber and blue. The seal on his necklace was still fighting him, but the desperation was gone. It had been replaced by a cold, calculating intent."All feeds are looped, Boss," Viper whispered, stepping out of the dark corridor with a modified submachine gun slung across his chest. Behind him, six men of the 'Ghost' unit stood in absolute silence, their faces covered in matte-black balaclavas. "The central secur
4-58
The temporary surge from the Shaman’s Crimson Catalyst had finally burned out, leaving his muscles shaking violently from pure exhaustion. His vision threatened to blur into darkness every time he blinked, but he kept his eyes pinned to the rearview mirror.Beside him, William rested his head against the leather seat. The older man was breathing more steadily now, but the prolonged confinement and the insidious effects of the Black Shackle had taken a massive toll on his aging body. He was no longer the imposing tycoon who ruled the city’s underground; he was a convalescent clinging to the remnants of his willpower."We’re entering the perimeter," Andrew rasped, his voice barely louder than the hum of the windshield wipers.William shifted his gaze toward the window, looking at the decaying warehouses, the overflowing trash bins, and the flickering neon signs of the lawless district. "You built a sanctuary in a rat's nest, Andrew. Smart. The proud klan houses in the upper hills would
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Reader Comments
interesting but where is the heirloom
aww! poor Andrew
interesting
Interesting
wow this is cool