For the first time, Strik Thorne met the great mafia king with a life-changing proposal. He came to the king's kingdom by himself and knew nothing bad would happen.
Being one of the mafia king's allies could protect him from the enemies. He would take everything for granted until he got the perfect chance to stab Drake from behind.
It would be an advantage to him once Drake agreed to his proposal.
However, sometimes things didn't happen perfectly like anyone's expectations.
Drake sarcastically burst into laughter which caught Strik's guard down. He couldn't believe a well-known mastermind of a syndicate came around and offered him a boloney deal.
"I apologize. I can't truly believe you're here in my territory." Drake said as he rubbed his chin continuously.
He never imagined this moment would take place. As the mafia king who ruled the dark world for how many years knew how to determine a man's true intention.
At this point, Drake felt something strange towards Strik. Their relationship has never been a smooth wave as they ruled different worlds.
Strik Thorne shook his head and smiled. His prediction was right and believed the rumor that it wasn't easy to persuade the king.
Out of the powerful people in the country, he chose to test Drake after failing to abduct the CEO of Miller's Company.
"You never change, Drake." He replied and met Drake's gaze.
It was the hardest decision he had ever made, but Strik never regretted it. The only reason why he proposed Drake was to defeat his rival in tonight's battle.
"You will benefit once you join my alliances. Different weapons from well-develop countries and billions of dollars in a single transaction. You will be the wealthiest man in the world—"
Drake lifted his brows and cut him off instead, "Don't make it hard for both of us, Strik. You know that I don't want to be attached to you anymore."
A dramatic scene happened a long time ago which involved Drake and Strik. From that moment, they had decided to part ways until they met each other coincidentally.
Whatever happened, Drake Quinn would never be his ally.
Right then, Strik lost control and suddenly grabbed the king's collar. He gritted his teeth and was about to attack him when Trace stopped him right away.
"You can't escape alive from here once you won't let go of his hands!" Trace said and put an emphasis on every word he said.
The entire time, he stood silently in the corner and listened to their conversation. Until he caught Strike's wrong move which urged him to protect the king from any danger.
"You heard him, right? I am giving you another chance to live your life longer and please make decisions after thinking about it very carefully. Do you get my point?"
At that moment, Strik wouldn't win against Drake. He had no one behind him while Trace was there for the king.
But in the back of his mind, he couldn't wait to meet Drake at a different place and teach him a lesson for declining his offer.
A sarcastic smile flaunted on his lips as he finally let go of his collar. He sighed and glanced at them before he uttered words.
"You will regret refusing to merge with me! Keep it in your head, Drake!" Strik cursed him before he walked towards the door and slammed it.
Trace and Drake sighed heavily as they watched him disappear from their sight.
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Time passed too quickly. The blue, warm sky turned gloomy when darkness devoured the beautiful creation.
Birds flew back to their nests. Wild animals stopped wandering around the forest and stayed at their shelter where they felt safe and unharmed.
The wind became too frigid as it blew the leaves and anything that light weighted.
Meanwhile, Mirena heard something downstairs. She wasn't sure if it was the car's engine or someone banging the door.
She then slowly opened her eyes and looked at the wall clock for a second.
"Damn, I slept too long!" She murmured.
Mirena has no idea that she was in the mafia king's room. She was the first and only woman he brought to the penthouse.
Barefoot and dizzy, she walked slowly towards the window and looked through it where that sound came from.
She smiled and got excited as soon as Drake went off the car, carrying two plastic bags with fruits and vegetables in them.
It has been a while since the last time Mirena saw someone do the grocery. It was one of the things she wanted to do with her toys, but no one asked her before.
Like an innocent child, Mirena quickly ran towards the stairs and went downstairs. She then opened the door made up of glass.
Her heart was beating too fast as Drake's presence brought butterflies into her stomach. It was hard to describe how she felt that night at all.
By then, Mirena called him from a distance. Her voice was filled with enthusiasm that surprised him completely.
"Drake, you're here!" She exclaimed and ran closer to Drake. But she stopped just a few inches away from him.
Drake widened his eyes and noticed that she wasn't wearing anything. She went downstairs barefoot which was seemingly new to him.
He smiled shortly and glanced at her, "I went to the nearby store and bought something for dinner."
But deep inside, Drake wanted to embrace her. He couldn't believe that a wealthy woman would run barefoot just to greet and welcome him with a wide smile on her face.
Out of the things in this world, he could tell that it was one of the sweetest moments of his life. No one had the chance to make him happy as he chose to push them away.
Drake feared that he might lose the woman he truly loved once he showed it to the public. Even if he would date someone secretly, his enemies always find a way to know that woman's identity.
"Anything, as long as you're the one who made it," Mirena replied and smiled over her shoulders.
It was hard to believe, but things happened smoothly like what he wanted. Drake knew that it would never be a happy ending. Yet, he chose to stay by her side for revenge alone.