Chapter 5

Jackson’s POV

~A job not so well done.~

“I can’t believe he is dead!” Lorenzo whispered inaudibly, his face crinkled with concern and fear. Meanwhile, my gaze remained on the person who truly mattered.

The petite woman standing before me, her bloody dress awkwardly hidden by my T-shirt. Jade was her name, and she was the angel sent from above to help get the job done.

I wouldn't have imagined it would be so easy to get rid of him. I mean my father; my men didn't even need to rush in and kill him off as planned. All it took was one beautiful lady who looked innocent and inexperienced to get the job done.

I had always thought of women as weak, fragile, and defenseless, just like my mother; maybe the only weapon they had was their mouth and vagina, but Jade was different.

She was a mystery that I was willing to unravel soon enough. I could feel in my bones that she was going to be of great use to me and my operation; there was no way in hell I would let her out of my sight; she was indeed a priceless possession.

Aside from her bravery, something else stood out to me; it wasn't just her hazel-coloured eyes; it was her calmness and peaceful demeanor. She was impressive.

I have to give her that; even in the face of everything terrible that just happened, she still managed to be composed, not crying like some chicken.

She was scared, I could see that, but she still managed to put herself together, a level of toughness I was sure to unravel. I know it won't be easy, but with time, I will figure her out. Soon enough.

I faced Lorenzo, who still stood there staring at me like a dimwit waiting for some other explanations. “Whoever attacked my father surely has an agenda to end the whole family.”

I stared at him emotionlessly; even though I didn't give two fucks about his opinion, I still needed something to make the story look believable. “I would make sure the scumbag that did this pay with their blood.”

“Yes, they will pay dearly for this.” He said firmly, and for a minute I thought he was threatening me. I felt my lips curl into a small, knowing smile. As I watched the guards pull Jade into the house to the room I had prepared for her.

I caught her gaze; she looked back at me, her lips parted slightly like she wanted to say something, but she ended up saying nothing. Her expression is a mix of confusion and fear.

‘Don't worry, darling! You are safe here.’ I said to myself, but instead, I winked at her. It was subtle, but she was smart enough to notice it. She didn't react; instead, she allowed the guards to push her into the house, and with that, she was out of sight.

I could tell what was going on in her little mind—she thought of me as the villain who wanted to manipulate or use her like my pathetic father, who held her as a captive and slave, but sooner or later she would see that I was different from the rest of them.

Lorenzo moved closer, his gaze still fixated on the spot where Jade was taken; I could tell there was a lot on his mind. He was no fool, and I could feel his suspicion building up.

Lorenzo had always known I hated my father and would do anything within my power to burn him to the ground. Would he even buy this pathetic story?

“Are you sure you can handle this, Jackson?” Lorenzo blurted out,”I still feel that girl was responsible for the death of Mr. Eduardo; she is a liar, and you shouldn't believe a thing she says.”

Smart ass! He seemed to know too much about what was going on, given his involvement with Eduardo, helping him carry out his dirty deeds and committing so many atrocities for a penny.

I should consider eliminating him too so he wouldn't have to question every single thing I did. “Enzo, trust me, I can handle this.” I stated calmly.

“I always do.” He was asking about Jade, but there was something else beneath the surface. Lorenzo turned to face me, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you sure you can do this alone? This situation is scary and jade—” Jade! He was asking about Jade again! He didn't trust me enough. I could sense it now.

“You need to relax, Enzo,” I cut him off. My voice laced with irritation, I folded my arms across my chest as I stared into his face. “I already said I was going to find out who was behind this.”

“And when I catch them, they are going to regret shooting him. And as for Jade. I will make sure she is punished for going against the rules. But for now, leave everything to me; Jade is not a threat.”

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at me, studying me carefully. “Why are you so sure about Jade? I don't trust her one bit; she reeks of trouble.”

I couldn't help but smile in anger at his words. How dare he blame Jade for being a threat when he worked hand in hand with Eduardo in committing so many abominable things?

But I needed him to understand that Jade was just another pawn in my game. Someone I could control and dominate.

“I don't trust anyone; the killer could be lurking nearby or just a few blocks from here, roaming freely on the streets,” I said slowly. “Don't worry, Enzo, Jade isn't the problem here; she isn't a hard nut to crack.”

“The real culprit is a hardened criminal or even the mafia. I would make sure they face the consequences of their actions.”

Lorenzo went quiet for a moment longer before looking up at me, nodding slowly like he was satisfied with every word I had just said. “Alright, Jackson, just don't forget to call me if you ever need support.”

I patted him on the shoulder, giving him a soft but reassuring squeeze. “I won’t, Enzo. Go take care of things at his mansion. While I handle everything here.”

Lorenzo smiled at me before turning and walking towards the gate. I waited until I was sure he was out of sight before I finally let out a sigh of relief. Good riddance! I muttered under my breath; now I could think of the next plan.

I headed to my room, which was painted with a warm red light, and I stared into the full-sized mirror at my reflection. The pajamas I wore made me look like an easygoing person, but I knew the man in the mirror better than anyone.

He was cold and deadly. Or maybe just calculative. While I stood there, my mind wandered off to one precise incident that happened years ago when I was a boy.

I ran my fingers through my thick black hair as I thought back to the night when my father had hit my mother. Help me! She cried helplessly.

I couldn't forget the sound of his belt slicing into her skin while I watched in fright. I couldn't do anything because I was a scared little boy.

I will never forget the way she cried desperately for help, the way her voice cracked when she begged him to stop. It was one of those nights I wished I could erase.

Why did she have to be so weak? There was a bottle of whisky on the table lying quietly, waiting to be picked up by her, but she just knelt on the ground begging for her mercies, which only boosted his ego.

Why didn't she fight him back like Jade did? Why did she have to be so weak? As soon as he was done beating her to a pulp, he mocked and belittled her. I knew I had to do something. I needed to save her.

This was the perfect opportunity to sit in. I picked up the gun from the table, and my hands trembled in fear as I held it. “Leave her alone!”

I had pointed it at him, and for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of him. “Don't do this.” My mother cried out weakly.

He stopped smiling and just yanked the gun from my hand. He hit me with the back of the gun, and I fell to the ground directly into the pool of blood next to my mother.

“I always knew you couldn't do it; you are no son of mine.” He taunted, his laughter intensifying as he pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger.

My phone rang out just in time, jolting me out of my reverie. I reached out for it without looking, expecting it to be one of my usual calls about business, something I could brush off, but when I saw the name on the screen, my blood ran cold.

It was Lorenzo. What does he want this time?

“Hi, Jackson.”

“Yeah?” I answered, my voice cold.

“It's Eduardo,” Lorenzo’s voice crackled through the line, low and urgent. “I’ve got some news about him.”

I felt my heart race a little bit. I kept my tone calm.”What happened?”

“The gunshot didn’t kill him, Jackson; he is alive.”

Goddamn!!