They say politics is a dirty business. A business that consisted of blood, life and death. Capturing victims without fear nor a glance of fear. Knowledge is power, power is money and money is influence. Nate Pescoli Regan stared at the white board in his office, seven years had gone by like it was nothing. At the age of forty-seven, he was a deputy at Pinewood police department, not once in his entire life had he seen such a case as the MERLIN'S CASE. The case was a hard nut to crack and the higher ups had decided the cases should be closed, due to insufficient evidence. Furthermore, they were all deemed as suicide. What annoyed him more was the fact that he had clues but not a starting point. Dorian, Richard, Tabitha and Natalie, just how were they all connected? Why would they commit suicide? What deep secrets were they hiding? If not suicide, who would want to kill them, for what purpose? Coming from a family such as the Merlin's, there was no reason for them to opt for death. He was specifically instructed to let go of the case however, the feeling in his gut was not letting it go. He had been digging, searching even for the smallest clues behind their backs. These dead souls needed justice if not him then who? Nate recalls Samantha's words as though they were from yesterday, "they all died the same way." There was more to what meets the eye. Then why on earth did someone kill Natalie? Did she know something imperative? After all these years no one was targeted, was there going to be someone next? Why were the questions more than answers? He slams a document on the table he's working on. Looking at the pictures of the Merlin family members, someone here was the murderer, since nothing came out of this. Nate decided that he was running a background check on every member connected to the Merlin family. It was time he asked his old man for help, this case needed to be solved!
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A comfortable silence fell between Mark Matthews Merlin and Samantha Alec Merlin, she was staring intently at the document before her. Mark watched the serrated line of the buildings against the evening sky. Then his sharp eyes caught her massaging her temple and he smiled. Seven years had gone by; she was determined now more than ever to get 'BLACK & LIME' to invest in their company. She still had a fighting spirit, still there was this brotherly sharp pain from seven years ago. Just where was he looking? None of them had realized that dear Sammy was on the brink of death. Seven years ago, Grandma Ada was in mourning of her daughter-in-law Natalie while Grace and Miranda had left the mansion for their own well- being. Elizabeth and Tomas were busy handling the Merlin family businesses to even bother with Samantha. The house helps; Joanna and Camil were ever busy taking care of their grandmother. He, he where was he? Looking at Samantha alive and well his heart can't help but skip a beat. How she almost died too, how they almost lost her. Oh God! Fear had struck him to the bones, he'd realized her almost too late, he noticed her only one time she'd knocked down a vase. She had bent down to pick up the pieces and when Mark went to aid her. He almost died of a heart attack! She was frail, like a twig that could be broken if he touched her. Her skin was pale, white as snow, when he touched her fingers, he feared they would break because they were too thin. How they would crumble and brake if he tried to touch them further. Then came dear Sammy's eyes, he looked into those grey irises and tears formed in his eyes. Her sorrow, her sadness, loneliness, they weren't there. What stared back at him were sunken eyes, deep like two hollows. Those were the eyes of a person who had lost all will to live. Those were the eyes of a person who had suffered to much not to care if death came next! Those were the eyes of an innocent child who had lost her way and no one reached out a hand to lead her! Those eyes are eyes that Mark feared, those eyes that showed and proved them GUILTY and without conscious. Her eyes became the JUDGE that Mark feared looking into because he knew she was on the right. What kind of monsters were they to neglects and mistreats a thirteen-year-old child. What crime had Samantha committed for her to face the critics and judgement of society? What atrocities had she done so she can be abandoned and forgotten by humanity? Who gave the world the right to sentence her to eternal loneliness and darkness? Just how evil was this world? How cruel were human beings? What kind of creatures had God created and placed on earth? Animals were far better, demons were far better, perhaps, we were the monsters that other creatures feared thus, we were locked up on earth! Mark thought bitterly and cruelly. He remembers as though it was just some few hours ago, she had no glow, she was a dead flame!
"Sorry, I didn't see the vase." Sammy had said in a low voice, a whisper as though she was on her dying bed! She didn't want to live. NO! NO! She was already dead! This girl had felt unwanted, hopeless and most of all abandoned. All these f**kin' years, Mark had wanted to blame Ethan, he wanted to drag him back and force him to restore her to what she was before he began playing puppet and master. He had wanted to call that Ethan and let him resolve the mess he'd made, how dare he destroy someone's life and leave it for him to fix?! How dare that jerk leave Samantha with him! Ethan was lucky that Mark loved him dearly, they were childhood buddies and not once has he said no to Ethan. He remembers just how he'd banged into their grandmother's office, demanding,
"Granny, WHAT KIND OF MONSTERS ARE WE?! JUST HOW DID YOU RAISE YOUR GRANDCHILDREN?!"
"Mark dear, calm down, why utter such horrid things I already sent Grace to England and Miranda to France, so they'll be okay." She had said with utmost calmness. Mark laughed hysterically, like a mad man,
"BLOODY HELL NANA, YOU'RE JUST LIKE ALL OF THEM, PERHAPS THAT'S WHY SAMMY TURNED OUT TO WHAT SHE IS! HAVE YOU F**KIN' LOOKED AT YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER NANA! HAVE YOU SEEN HER!" Mark had shouted in annoyance and that's when he saw realization hit in Lady Ada's eyes. She had a granddaughter by the name Samantha Alec Merlin. How could she forget! Where was she, how had she been faring on, how many months had it been since she saw Samantha? Mark had grabbed her hand and took her to where Samantha sat, she had gasped and held her granddaughter's face,
"I'm sorry Sammy, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry." She had apologized over and over to a girl who was silent, hanging by a thread, like a puppet that needed strings to be controlled. Ada regretted, she had almost lost Samantha too, just like her late husband Dorian, her son Richard, her daughters-in- law Tabitha and Natalie, Samantha almost joined them in heaven. Oh goodness! what a horrible grandmother she was! This is when she got closer to Samantha, at first Sammy was quiet, shy, too introverted but now; Mark stares at this stunning lady, how mature she'd become, how beautiful she'd grown, oh now; she even had shares in 'SILVER & DINE'! Mark thought jubilantly.
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The orange circle in the sky gave away that dawn had begun. The wind skillfully playing its part; ensuring the clouds traversed across the sky at the speed of the former. He felt indolent today, something about his body was exhausted and fatigued. Perhaps the constant nightmares were a contribution to the exhaustion. As he sat behind his desk, scrolling on e-reader, passing across business descriptions, Grace Alec Merlin stepped in. As always, she was in a tight skirt, a neatly tucked in white shirt, matched with black stilettos. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail and her lips painted dark red. Once in a while he fucked her senseless but she knew better than to expect more. Grace stood in front of his desk carrying a tablet, her long shapely elegant legs going down in a smooth curve. She looked good today but not good enough to arouse his manhood. He thought shamelessly and smiled at that thought.
"Sir, today's schedule involves a meeting with Milton investors at around 8:00 AM, a meeting with Powerhouse at around 10:00 AM, the next meeting is around 1:00 AM with investors from Ramshel hotel and we finally conclude with a meeting from Diners at around 4:00 PM." She reads quickly. He stands and grins, "let's get this over with." Ethan Duke Masters says and they walk out of the office. Grace just realized how seven years can go by in the blink of an eye and Ethan had changed. He changed so much that all she was to him was a servant, how could she not hope for more with such a man. Everything a woman wanted in a man; Ethan had it but why was she just a fuck toy to him? Or perhaps there was more and he just couldn't express how he felt. Many companies had wanted him to invest in their businesses yet Ethan knew so well that they wanted the name 'MASTER'S' and the money behind that name. These meetings were boring, the first meeting with the Milton, that group compromised of old maggots who didn't even hide their presumptuous greed. A group of overweight men who embezzled funds just to make themselves richer. They were greedy pigs who can't get enough by sucking into the mud. The company majorly handled construction and architecture, however, those people behind closed doors were nothing but corrupt faggots begging to be squashed. Most of their constructions are either crumbling or are not completed, they go even further in running away and becoming huge fugitives with court indicts behind their backs. They came up to him, offering to construct the new resort he was establishing in Peterborough yet Ethan knew well where money grew and where money withered. Their schemes were either scams or too extravagant, his response was simple. "I changed my mind about the construction; I already sold the land to one of my industrialists." Perhaps you should try contacting him." It ended the meeting even before it begun, and he moved to La Café` where he had a meeting with a conniving group of con-artists. Powerhouse, it was a company that hid behind a good name with zero character and zero responsibility. They knew how to run their mouths and treat business men as stupid. Powerhouse was a company that dealt with electricity and water management, moreover, the meeting was simply sill about the resort he was constructing. News sure spread fast! Ethan thought. These goats, came up with the most ridiculous ideas humanity had ever heard. This company had come up with a business project that involved the idea of constructing water reservoirs and installation of solar systems in the resort he was about to establish. They asked for around 50 billion just as a down payment for the purchase of materials and workers. Ethan thought 50 billion as a down payment was absolutely ridiculous, then what about the real payment? Ethan decided that, "I will accept your terms and conditions but, 80% of the money will not be transferred to you, I will specifically supervise and hand out the money to you when needed. You will be monitored by my crew under twenty-four-hour surveillance. Do you agree with my terms?" They conclude the meeting with Powerhouse rejecting the offer and a smile form on Ethan's lips, he knew they wouldn't accept his negotiations. The 10% was not worth it since how would they distribute it in their pockets? They cancel the project and he heads to the next meeting with Ramshel, he flatly rejected the offer even before the meeting began. The reason was quite simple, Ramshel was a big hotel, in every contract, they had one rule that he would never accept. In him deciding to sign a contract with them, he would not be allowed to invest in any other business or company without Ramshel's shareholders having a say. This is what he hated most, not being in control, it was high time he shut down that stupid hotel, they got on his nerves too much. "Business is business, If I cannot control it, then no one else can.". He knew that in business no one was his friend nor no one was his enemy, it entailed a group of unsuccessful flies and jealous frogs who wanted to bring him down. The final meeting was with Diners, this company wanted his investment co-operation, so he was giving them a chance, he enters the meeting room, his aura radiating like the sun. He smiled gleefully when he saw the person before him. This woman! Ha! Let's see what she has to offer.