UNDER HIS RULES

The atmosphere at the resort was just like the day before; lively, with conversations happening, and people bustling around under Sam’s command. Whether through Eland or Hugo, they all obeyed him, including fixing the headquarters that had been messed up by Herry’s men a few days ago.

The police chief reportedly suffered significant consequences within his unit. Meanwhile, Ferdi was let off the hook, claiming he was being pressured by Jimmy Lee’s side. The witness was their driver who initially refused to cooperate. But Ferdi always found a way to ensure his safety within the police force, even though it was clear that he had participated in helping Sam, along with his other friends. As for those who sided with Herry, they couldn’t do much to resist.

And because of that, Hugo and Eland weren’t too concerned about the police coming to visit just to check the crime scene. Whatever. They didn’t care as long as there was no more trouble. Most of their visits were accompanied by Ferdi. Hugo, who had more dealings with the police, albeit reluctantly.

Hugo was hundreds of kilometers away from the South District Police Headquarters!

Goodness, whenever Sam gave him a task, it really gave him a headache. At the same time, he had to make sure that no one let their guard down during the boss’s vacation with his lover. God! If only Hugo could shout in protest, he would have done it from the beginning. Unfortunately, for Hugo, Sam’s orders were absolute.

“How’s it going, boss?” Eland asked on the phone.

Hugo sat leaning on one side of the motorboat that carried him around, keeping an eye on Sam and Beatrice. The distance was far, but he could still observe how his boss was handling the speedboat over there.

“Challenging,” Hugo replied irritably. He took a strong drag from the half-finished cigarette. “He seems to be intentionally punishing me.”

“You keep playing games, though.” Eland laughed on the other end. The image vividly portrayed Hugo’s frustrated and grumbling face for the past three days.

Eland wanted to join him, but he had his own tasks. This included occasional visits to Flown Discotheque to monitor activities there. Although Jack was an expert at keeping an eye on and ensuring the conditions of the place where all of Sam’s money came from, it had become their habit to check on each other. Not that they didn’t trust each other. It was what Sam wanted from the three of them.

If something urgent happened, all the reinforcements could quickly come down to deal with it.

“Is the resort secure?” Hugo asked. The sky he gazed at was so clear. His skin had gotten darker from being exposed to the sun for the past few days.

“It’s secure,” Eland sighed softly. “But Bella isn’t here.”

Hugo’s eyebrows furrowed. “What? She’s not there?”

“Yeah,” Eland looked up at the sky that covered him. Hugo must be gazing at the same sky, but in a different location. Right now, Eland was at the headquarters. He had just arrived to check on the whereabouts of the snake woman who they wanted to eliminate as soon as possible.

Unfortunately… the woman’s whereabouts were not there.

“I asked Anne to search the entire city using CCTV. No news so far.”

“Did anyone see her last?” Hugo asked, his posture no longer relaxed.

It wasn’t about Bella not being there. Even if the woman returned to her original location, he didn’t care. Hugo indeed disliked Bella. However, the woman had been by Sam’s side for quite a while. Who knew if there was something they could use as a weapon to trap Sam and destroy the leader of the Dragon Twins Clan?

Who knew?

“Valdo did. But only when they crossed paths around the resort. Usually, the woman is there. So, Valdo didn’t suspect anything.”

Hugo sighed softly. “How long has it been since her whereabouts were last monitored?”

“Five hours.”

“SHIT!”

Eland knew why Hugo cursed like that. “I’ll ask for Ferdi’s help then.”

“After Anne gives me the news, I’ll inform you immediately.”

“Let Jack know,” Hugo added, no longer enjoying the remaining bit of his cigarette. “That woman is dangerous.”

“Okay.”

Eland promptly ended the phone call and scanned the area where many of Sam’s men were waiting for him to give orders. “Continue to clean up the headquarters. The boss will be back in a week.”

“Got it, Boss Eland!” they said in unison.

The big motorcycle that he faithfully rode roared to life once again. The sound of the engine filled the air. Eland quickly put on his helmet. But before he could twist the throttle and clutch, his phone rang loudly.

Anne’s name appeared on the screen.

“Yes?” Eland answered impatiently.

“She was last seen around Flown Discotheque. Wearing a black hoodie and took a taxi. I got the latest information from the taxi driver.”

“And?” Eland asked eagerly.

“She’s at a hotel not far from the headquarters.”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Eland frowned. “What is she doing there?”

“My CCTV coverage is limited, bro. I can’t monitor inside the hotel.”

Eland understood that. “I’ll go to Flown first. Tell Valdo to tighten security at the resort.”

“Okay, bro.”

He quickly hung up the phone.

“Kodok!” Eland called out immediately.

Not long after, the figure ran towards Eland. His hands were covered in paint. It seemed like he was tidying up the back area that was stained with a lot of marks from the previous fight. “Yes, Boss?”

“Get your team to check the hotels around the headquarters. Especially Four Hotel. Look for Bella there. Let me know if you find anything.”

“Got it, Boss.”

After ordering the search to begin, oh… no! Eland never worried about Bella’s whereabouts. Even if she ended up dead or injured, he didn’t care. There was one thing that concerned him the most.

Bella wasn’t the type of woman who could keep a secret. She could do anything, and here Eland emphasized, anything, especially when it came to Sam. She might be planning something terrible given her current situation.

Who didn’t know that Bella had been eliminated? Moreover, the incident at the headquarters when Beatrice bravely fought against Bella? Ah… that was the most exciting part of Eland’s life. The confrontation between Beatrice and Bella was indeed thrilling, but he didn’t want to dwell on it for too long. His current goal was to ensure that Bella didn’t act recklessly.

He sped off at a considerable speed.

Not long after, Eland entered the floor that was often used for dance parties by various groups. It was filled with the smell of alcohol, accompanied by the haze of cigarette smoke and the presence of Bella, which could ignite passion. But for Eland, it had become boring to enjoy. Which corner of Flown Discotheque hadn’t he explored?

He had experienced almost everything. Unfortunately, nothing could keep him from getting bored.

“Boss,” one of the staff members called out. “Shall I get your favorite drink?”

Eland just grinned. “Two. Bring them to Jack’s room.”

“Got it!”

He continued to walk through the corridors and climbed the stairs one by one. The atmosphere wasn’t yet lively, but the booming music could already be heard. For those who weren’t used to being here, it felt nauseating. But for Eland, this was where his life began.

Several other members of Sam’s crew greeted and exchanged friendly words. Eland nodded briefly but didn’t stop walking. There was no time. Until his hurried footsteps reached the black door labeled ‘Jack’s Room.’

Sometimes Eland wondered about the choice of this name. Everyone knew it was Jack’s room. Why did it need to be labeled like this? Jack was really strange.

“Busy?”

Jack, who had been monitoring stock movements in one of the companies where a lot of Sam’s money was involved, looked startled. “Are you crazy? Trying to give me a heart attack?”

Eland burst into laughter. “I’m dead serious.” He took a seat right in front of Jack.

“Flown was settled two days ago. I cleaned up a few things, and, well… I modified it again. Some suppliers were complaining about us taking too long to reopen.”

“You said?”

“Renovations.”

Eland shook his head slightly. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. After taking one, he slid the pack towards Jack, offering him one. Jack never refused whenever an offer came from Eland or Hugo. Especially from Sam.

“How was your vacation, Boss?”

“It went smoothly.”

“I heard Hugo went with you?” Jack chuckled at the thought.

“Yeah,” Eland shrugged.

Upon hearing that, Jack burst into laughter. “I’m sure he was asked by the Boss to keep watch the whole time you were on vacation with your lover.”

“Punishment for playing games all the time,” Eland interjected, laughing along. He raised his feet and placed them on the table. “Everything went smoothly, right?”

“Everything went smoothly.” Jack exhaled smoke from the cigarette he was enjoying. “Later, you have to see which rooms I renovated. Even though I have Boss’s permission, you still need to know and report.”

“Got it.”

Jack nodded and refocused on his work screen.

“Bella came here?”

Eland’s question made Jack turn. “Yeah. The bartender told me that Bella got drunk and caused a scene.”

Eland’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is that all?”

“Yeah. I asked how she ended up here, the answer didn’t make sense. She even cursed Beatrice and everything.”

“What did she say?”

Jack tried to recall what Bella had said earlier. Drunk people’s words were usually strange, right?

“Be careful, Sam. Beatrice sacrificed herself for her. Something like that.”

Eland clenched his fist tightly.

“What’s going on?”

“Where is she now? Do you know?” Eland prodded.

“I called a taxi to take her back to the headquarters. Yongki was there, right? But until now… yeah, that’s right. Yongki hasn’t given me any updates. It’s been more than three hours. She should have arrived by now.”

“I’m sure you told him to go to the headquarters. But I just came from there, and he’s not there.”

Jack was taken aback.

“Anne said she’s at a hotel near the headquarters. I also asked Kenzo to look for that snake woman.”

Just as Eland stopped talking, his phone rang again, displaying Kenzo’s name on the screen.

“Boss, Kak Bella isn’t at the hotel you mentioned. There’s no sign of her nearby either.”

Eland’s jaw clenched. “Continue the search.” Smart move, he contacted Anne to check the CCTV footage, in case they missed something.

“Somehow, whenever it involves Bella, something is bound to happen.”

Jack’s statement left Eland speechless.

“Do you remember what happened two years ago?”

Eland rolled up his shirt sleeves slightly. “How could I forget this scar, Jack?”

“Tell Hugo to keep a closer eye on Beatrice. I’m afraid Bella’s target is just Beatrice. I’ve heard many stories about Beatrice at the headquarters.”

There was nothing Eland could do but nod. He agreed one hundred percent with what Jack said.

“I heard that Sam has already chosen the woman who will be by his side.” Jack looked at Eland intently. “You too, right?”

“We all know.”

“Which means…” Jack deliberately paused. He took a strong drag on his cigarette. Smoke billowed out as he exhaled, savoring the remains of his pleasure.

Eland grinned. “No need to say it. I know what needs to be done.”