FLAVIAN DURAN

THREE DAYS AGO...

Money, power, connections, name it all. The aspects of life I've achieved through my hardwork. I can boldly say, I have it all. Yeah, that's my life.

Except, that's not all...

Hatred and resentment. A normal person would call that ill will. Yeah, a normal person. Normalcy and I don't fit in the same sentence. It's what has kept me going for the past few years. Loathing, marinated with a passion for revenge. Topped with a few strategies executed bit by bit.

Is it possible to hate someone with every part of your body, and I mean, including your liver, pancreas, and loop of Henle? That's how I feel about Unai Merino. The bloodthirsty murderer who would do anything for power, no matter the cost. Even throwing his best friend under the bus.

However, a quick death would be a luxurious journey to hell for him. This is why after a few careful strategies, I have spent the past few months playing dangerous games, annoying the hell out of him, and incurring losses on his side. Do I care about his feelings?

Hell no!

Do I sound ferocious? Well, I didn't say I was a saint.

Somewhere in the future, I would like to make his life even more miserable.

He's wealthy, powerful, and has connections with various servants in his pocket, but that only heightens my determination. What better way to beat your enemy than when they think they've won it all?

This morning, Derrick and I, with the help of my men, hijacked one of his big shipments of the week. This one is usually international. I know what it means to him. Unai is a careful man. No one can easily get to him.

We had to plan our moves so carefully, with a little help from the inside. In case you're wondering, well, here's how; To some people, loyalty has a price. A disloyal minion for Unai is a huge win for us. All we had to do was offer a huge sum, enough for the guy to start over at a very far away place after betraying his boss.

Not that money is an issue, but I don't regret a single penny. It was all worth it. His firearms deal is facing trouble now. He's going to be so furious, but with his fury comes my jubilation. He's aware of our rivalry, and there are repercussions to this, but I'll always be ready. In this game, you should never be caught off guard.

I spend the night at Derrick's place, where we ponder more strategies. The following morning, I head for the Barnes' manor. I'm meeting Nicholas Barnes. The head of the Barnes syndicate. With the kind of war that is going on, the more support I gather, the better. Good thing I have been making collaborations with him. He is a strong ally.

You know, the enemy of your enemy and all that stuff...

We are having coffee in his living room when I hand him a file.

"What's this?" He asks, stretching his hand to receive it.

"I'm not here for a girl talk over tea. That's Unai's biggest shipment. All the information, including its current location, is in there," I point out.

The man stares at me briefly before returning his attention to the file. It won't be difficult for him to understand. He is in his fifties and has been in business for longer than I have, so there isn't much to explain.

"It was in my hands, and now it's in yours," I proceed to explain.

"This is huge, Duran." He acknowledges and then frowns. "Don't you think you've unleashed a great war?"

"Haven't you folks always been at war with each other?" I throw back a question.

"Besides, his clients are going to think he double-crossed them, which is going to cause a hiccup in their partnership. That's where you chip in."

He smiles.

"You really hate him." He grins.

"Do we have a deal?" I cock a brow.

We shake hands, although we are going to need more than that as a sign of an alliance.

________________________

I'm having lunch with my mother at The Galaxy. You could be a strategist, a manipulator, or even a gangster, but Olivia Duran will always want to tame you into her adorable son. It's been three years now since she adopted the behavior.

But I get her. After everything that happened to the family, I wouldn't blame her for being paranoid and always on my neck about my well-being.

For example, this lunch wasn't on my schedule for the day, but she had to insist.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in like forever," she begins.

"It's only been four days, mother."

"That's the same difference." She raises her brows. "Anyway, how are you?"

Nothing much. Just going after Merino. Making plans after plans and reading myself for the Third World War.

I can't tell her that, of course.

She isn't aware of my extracurricular activities. I wouldn't want to have her explode with worry. For three years now, she's been preaching about normalcy and spending more time with me. All she knows is my company and my nightclub. In her eyes, I'm just a normal businessman, and yes, I am, but some sins can't go unpunished.

"I've been busy," I smile. "I have a company to run and...do you remember my nightclub? I didn't become a billionaire by sitting back."

I try to be sarcastic, but it gets lost in the air.

"Then you should move back to the mansion so we can spend more time together," she suggests, as always.

Yeah. I got myself into that one.

"For the millionth time, mother, I'm not moving back to that place. I still love you, even if we don't live together."

That place is full of memories I don't want to resurrect.

She scoffs. I know this conversation is far from over.

"Lucian would have loved..."

"Don't use Lucian to manipulate me, otherwise this lunch will be over before it begins," I warn.

For the next few minutes, we eat in silence, but I know there's another bombshell coming.

"Let's talk about a wife, then."

And there it is. The other topic I'm usually not interested in.

FLAVIAN

"I still have time. Marriage is not something to make rash decisions about." I recite my regular response.

"Thirty is calling. Time waits for no man, you know."

"Then I'll have to bribe it to wait for me." I focus on my food, not willing to engage further. I'm aware of the kind of glare coming my way. My mother and I have different opinions about this. She wants normalcy for me. How can I have a normal life when I'm always at war with Unai Merino? I have dangerous unfinished business to take care of.

"I'm serious, Flavian. You need someone to take care of you. Someone who's not your mother. I can help you find a housewife," she offers.

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Your loss," she shrugs, like I'm missing out on a great opportunity.

Settling down is the last thing on my mind, but now that we're talking about certain topics... "Stop sending servants to my villa. I can take care of myself, thank you very much."

She sighs before giving me the usual I'm tired of your stubbornness look, but she never gives up.

"I have a personal housekeeper," I lie. Her look tells me she doesn't buy it in the slightest.

"Really? I'm having a hard time believing you."

"She's not a live-in, but I'm going to rectify that," I add to the lie.

This time, I'm not sure whether she buys it, but if she does, she'd definitely want to meet her. I'm not wrong. Knowing her, she'll keep on sending the maids until she's sure about my story.

"If you meet her, will you stop pestering me with maids every time?" I ask. Though I know it's not just about my well-being, she uses them to spy on me too. I don't want her on my neck all the time. And I don't want to stress her, either. She's been through enough, which is why I try to be soft with her, even if it contrasts with my demeanor.

"You moron!" A screeching voice suddenly attracts everyone's attention before my mother can answer my question.

The next thing I know, we're watching drama unfold between two ladies, where one accuses the other of wrecking her home. My eyes remained glued to the one whose clothes are now loaded with soup.

At first, it's her resilience that catches my attention. The way she defends herself, blocking the slap coming her way, like she and the impeccably dressed woman are on the same level. I'm tempted to order some popcorn just to see more of what the fierce waitress is capable of, despite being at a slight disadvantage.

However, now that she has my attention, my eyes trace her beauty. I mean, it's not every day you take note of a waitress's beauty, but there's something about this particular one.

Suddenly, I'm not paying attention to whatever is going on. Her features intrigue me. Her black hair is neatly tied into a bun, revealing her captivating face. Her skin looks charming, and it's not just because it survived a burning fiasco. She's furious, but that doesn't change her gorgeousness. My mind must have taken a turn for insanity if eyeing a waitress like this in the middle of a fight is any indication.

"Women." My mother's voice snaps me from my haze. I shake my head as an excuse to get back to my normal self.

"See why it's hard to find a good wife these days?" I smile at her. That is the perfect excuse.

____________________

I have a meeting with Derrick in a private booth at Luvian. The games continue. Slacking is akin to putting your life at a higher risk. The strategies never cease.

On my way, I spot a familiar blackhead at the counter. My lips curve into a smile. Of course, I can't forget that face. The gorgeous waitress from earlier. My lucky day-or night. I never thought I'd see her again.

I assume she got fired after the incident?

Can she afford this place? How much do waitresses get paid?

This is a very big coincidence, and I like it. I'm not going to let it pass. Derrick is probably waiting for me, but that's what he'll have to do for now.

I approach the counter, where she is chatting with some other lady. The bartender notices me and I immediately know she's about to call me out, but I speak up quickly, beating her to it. I end up saying the most ridiculous, "Get me five shots of tequila."

My order attracts her attention. When she turns to look at me, I finally get a closer look at her. She's even prettier at a closer angle. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. Her charming skin makes me want to cup her cheeks and kiss those lips that look so delicious.

Unlike earlier, now she has her hair tied into a ponytail.

If someone asked me which style of her hair I prefer, I'd say I want a collaboration. Both make her look gorgeous. I'm quick to call her out for wanting to swallow me alive.

Hypocrite.

I have been doing the same. I don't just want to swallow her. I want to devour her, kiss the breath out of her. Run my tongue all over that charming skin. My dick twitches at each dirty thought.

However, when I tease her about earlier, she isn't in the slightest bit impressed. She's fierce. One more thing that draws me to her. She's not tense even when she should be.

The annoyance in her eyes makes me want to tease her even more. I think it's the reason why I don't react much when she pours the tequila shots on my shirt. She's a daring devil, and she's not sorry. I would love to stay here the whole night to test her limits, but she takes her friend and they walk away. I should be punishing her, but I'm not. Yet another strange thing for me.

My eyes are glued to her backside as she looks like she sashays away. Gosh, are those real? My palm print would look gorgeous on that. She disappears, and I'm left with the shocked bartender. That's understandable.

I don't know if I'll ever see her again.

EMERALD

Mother organizes a bouquet, while father takes care of the bill.

"Your wife must be a very lucky woman," she tells Jake, who responds with another mischievous smile, which I'm tempted to slap off his face.

"What about you? Is there anyone?" She asks Spencer.

"No. Just a divorce victim," he answers.

Divorce Victim?

Really now?

Mother is quick to wear a sympathetic look, which infuriates me even more. I want to tell her not to waste her solace, but that would cause havoc. It would bring up the issue I'm trying so hard to keep my parents out of.

"Don't feel bad for me." He swats his hand in dismissal. "It was a contract marriage, and she breached the terms of the contract. I could not be with someone untrustworthy."

"Oh," mother looks confused for a while. On the other hand, I know better than that. The fake story was meant for me.

If you dare think of backing out of our agreement, you know the consequences. I conclude to myself.

"But if your friend found happiness, you will too, as long as you don't dwell on the past," mother comforts.

Oh, God. She's going to give them that slogan...

"Past is past, today is a gift, and the future is bright."

There it is.

"You're a very wise woman," Jake compliments.

"That's why I married her," father, who had been busy all this while, chips in.

"And you made a very beautiful daughter."

Oh, crap. I want to throw up.

When they leave, I craft an excuse to step out for a few minutes and follow the men.

Of course, they were expecting that move. They must have been crawling because I catch up with them quickly.

"There she is," Spencer says as soon as I'm on the same level and they stop.

"What do you think you're doing?" I cross my arms. "I agreed to the deal. I'm the one who's to get your money. Why are you trying to involve my parents?"

They burst out laughing, which honestly, I find annoying.

Do they find everything hilarious?

"Yes, we had a deal. But we need to take precautions. I'm very paranoid about trust. My ex-wife did a number on me," says Spencer.

Oh, that story they gave my parents? I'm sure it's fake. There's no wife. It was just a form of threat.

Jake chips in. "You can call it motivation. At least you have one week before delivery of the first installment. I can see the florist is doing well..."

"Don't involve them in this." I point a finger like they would listen to me.

His expression darkens. "Good. I'm sure by now you're aware of what we're capable of...and, just a reminder, if you involve the authorities, this will be a Big Boss case."

"Like we said, he's not as soft as we are," Spencer supplements.

"So you guys are soft?" I ask with knitted brows.

You just threatened my whole family.

"Of course." Spencer moves closer and rolls a few strands of my hair around his finger, which absolutely makes me feel uncomfortable. I swat his hand away, but he returns with the same move. "You're beautiful. I could make you my wife just to close this whole thing. That would make everything easier, don't you think?"

"Over my dead body," I hiss.

"Are you sure about that?" Spencer asks. "You do realize that being my wife would clear you of everything."

I don't even give any thought to it. That's an easy way out, but also a ticket to a miserable life.

"I play fair," I say.

Jake hands me the bouquet. "Think about it, Emerald. The offer has an expiry, which is soon."

Before they walk away, Spencer adds. "In case you don't consider my proposal, we'll text you the details of the location and time of the delivery in cash. It's next Friday. And don't worry, we have your contact."

Of course, they do. There seems to be no limit to what they are capable of.

I exhale loudly as I watch them disappear.

I have a week to find a job. Even if I got the job, I wouldn't get paid immediately. The other option isn't something to consider. Or maybe I should try to find the drugs or the money. Theo must have hidden them somewhere. Yet, I can't think of any constructive place.

I must be looking like a mad woman on the road, with a bouquet. I can't go back to the shop with them. It would raise so many questions from mum and dad. What do I do with them?

I find a random woman walking.

"Hey, you're so beautiful. You deserve this." I hand it to her with a smile.

_________________

I spend the weekend looking for other options as well as finding Jobs online. Alicia is of great help. She asked for an opportunity for me at the jewelry store she works at, but there wasn't any good news.

I haven't told her about the kind of mess I'm in. I don't want to have her worry. That, and the fact that my family is already in danger. I don't want to put my best friend in a difficult position. The less people involved, the better. Alicia would probably resort to more dangerous measures. I can't have that.

On Monday morning, I wake up to a disheartening email from the housekeeping agency, stating they can't accept my application at the moment. I don't even proceed to read the rest of it. The first few words bore the magnitude of it all.

It's just the beginning of the week, for goodness' sake.

How many days until Friday? Since the Galaxy is a renowned Hotel, I thought Cecilia's recommendation would come in handy. But here we are.