The Devil's Sweetheart

Kicking his legs in the air, Adney threw back his head, letting out a loud, humorous laugh. Nick crossed his hands around stomach in an attempt to catch his breath. If the people in the house were not fuming in anger, they would have come straight away to this room to see the guffaws of these two.

''Had I knew pranking her would be such a treat, I would have done it a long ago,'' Adney added, his face lit up like a neon sign.

''Indeed, Ad,'' Nick retorted. ''I feel refreshed to see everyone in the house cursing her. The funniest part is, Maddalena is not aware of it."

''Let me go and check the situation outside,'' Nick said, strolling out of the room.

The moment Nick was out of sight, Adney opened his account and checked his hacker friend's status. It was still the same status, offline. If he tries to hack into his account, it will backfire tenfolds. ''Why can't you come online at least once in a while?'' Did he do another crime and went into hiding mode again? Vexed, Adney closed his laptop.

While he was thinking of ways to contact his hacker friend again, Nick arrived back, carrying a little girl in his arms. "Savny is here."

''Savny! You have arrived already!'' Adney screamed, his eyes lit up seeing the little girl after a long time. He dashed towards Nick and picked Savny from his arms. ''You are looking so cute today.'' Dressed in a peach polka-dotted pinafore, she paired it with a sea-green shirt looking super cute and flattering.

''Thank you Any!'' Having said that, Cutie drove straight to the point. ''Did you bring me the toys, I asked?'' She asked with hope. Evelyn called Wilbur to invite the family for lunch since the two families haven't met officially after Devin and Leena's marriage. Cutie had a word with Adney about toys, and Adney promised to bring all she wanted.

Gently putting her on the bed, Adney went into the walk-in closet and brought a wildly plush cute giraffe toy set. ''Do you like it? This is a special toy. It can act like a real friend. You can feed and also change the diapers.''

Cutie was in no mood to respond to Adney's question. Her sole concentration was on the giraffe's toy. As if it is her childhood friend, she put on the diaper and began feeding with the bedtime bottle.

''We almost know everyone from the Hayes family, including Cutie, but why haven't we seen Leena at least once?'' Adney questioned Nick.

''Twice, I got a glimpse of her when I went to meet Wilbur, but uncle Francis appeared out of nowhere and threw me out of the room when I tried to meet her,'' Nick said, remembering the day he had seen Leena in Heacis mansion when he was around ten. Curiosity killed the cat. He wanted to see her again, but there was no trace of her from next time. ''Wilbur said Francis would not let her meet any man, and she even was joined in a school exclusively for girls.''

''He is treating as if she is Queen Victoria,'' Adney grumbled.

Just then, Nick got a text message from Jane asking Cutie to bring her down for lunch.

''Let's go and lick the bowls, Savny.'' Nick picked Cutie, and all the three started. "Food is ready."

''Ýay food! I am hungly.'' Cutie said, throwing the plush toy on the bed when her stomach screamed with the mention of food.

....

Leena, Jane, and Harley have already rounded the table in the dining hall, waiting for the food to be served. ''I don't think lazy Reese will make it today,'' Jane uttered with a downcast face. ''It's been a long time I met her.''

''Let's gather up for lunch in my home soon. I will also introduce a friend to you guys.'' Leena already planned to invite Kyle to introduce them.

''Who is she?'' Jane and Harley asked with interest.

''Let's say someone I know, and you don't know.'' Leena winked, not adding much information about it.

''Count me in,'' Harley said.

''I am also in.'' It was Jane.

While the three were conversing with each other, Arthur and Margaret arrived with a gloomy face. The moment they saw Leena, their weird photoshopped pictures popped into their mind. But then again, they decided not to bring in front of her and put her in an embarrassing situation.

''Grandpa Arthur! Your face looks gloomy. What happened?" Leena asked with concern.

"Do I look that bad in your eyes?" Arthur snapped.

"That's not what I_."

"Then what do you mean by your statement?" Margaret questioned back with a glare sitting over the chair.

"I_I did not_."

"Eat your food. You need lots of energy for photoshopping." Arthur added with a scoff.

Photoshopping? Leena felt something was wrong with the two oldies but couldn't fathom their thoughts. Brushing the thoughts aside, Leena began to concentrate on her food for now.

One by one, everybody arrived at the dining area, and for the entire time during the lunch, Francis, Fredrick, Evelyn, even Heather was giving the cold shoulder to Leena.

If Leena tried to make a conversation, they would immediately shift their attention to either Harley or Jane. She even poked Devin but to no avail. He was also looking for the answers for their cold treatment. Like a lost puppy, Leena was literally scratching her head, if she has anyway angered the family members without knowing two culprits are cackling inside.

Happiness was spurting in the house without knowing a problem has taken root, and soon it is going to him them real hard.

....

Eyes closed, thoughts focused, no one knows what's mulling over his brain. As the footsteps around the corner of the house echoed in his ears, Enger snapped out of the thoughts, opening his eyes. ''What is it?'' He demanded.

''It's confirmed,'' Nash said. ''Devin is traveling to Norway along with Harley this coming weekend. Harley would return to New York within three days to take care of WD. But Devin will stay back because he got an important business deal to close on behalf of Wang enterprises.''

''By the way, why did you ask me to get this information?'' Nash asked. The information about Devin's business was tightly sealed. He has to pull lots of strings to get a hand on the news.

Not uttering a word, Enger got up and strolled towards the bulletin board, which was stocked to the wall. Yanking the marker cap with his teeth, Enger began drawing a blueprint on the board; his hands swiftly worked on the board like a pro. With how skilled Enger was at graffiti, Nash was not surprised to see the bulletin panel turned into a picture that he is aware of.

"Why did you draw this? Isn't it the place outskirts of NYC?" Nash asked, a surprise-filled over his face.

"My every move will have a purpose." Closing the marker, Enger chuckled as he pointed his eyes at the picture. "This is the route Devin will have to take to enter into the city after he lands in New York." Pressing the marker on a specific place, Enger remarked. "This is the place our men come in. Under maintenance, the signboard will be put up by them. With that, his car will have to take a detour without any choice. Five miles from here, the car will enter into a secluded area."

"Enger! This is not the right way_."

"Let me complete, Nash." With a smile that can evoke the monsters within, Enger stopped Nash from speaking. "Before the car moves into the secluded area, one of our men will throw a sharp object on the road, resulting in a deflated tire. It's time Devin will get down from the car_."

"W_hat are we going to do?" Nash turned wary, hearing Enger's words. For some reason, Enger's serious tone was putting a queasy thought in Nash's mind.

''It's what you think,'' Enger stated as a matter of fact. "Hire a professional shooter."

"Are you out of your mind?" Nash freaked out, losing control all of a sudden. "Devin is one of the most influential figures, and knowing that fact, you are still going to such an extent? Kurt is his best friend. If something happens to Devin, he will drag every person behind the misery. A slip of word from the hired shooter, our doom will_."

"Stop it, Nash. Nothing that you are worried about is going to happen." Enger cooly replied. "Once the shooters finish his job, you are going to execute him by yourself," Enger stated.

For the first time, Nash's body turned frigid, scared of Enger. Everyone who knows about Enger reckons him as a ruthless monster, but for the first time, Nash felt it.

"D_o you have to go this extent? If it is for Leena, we can bring her home."

"Leena is always mine, and that feeling will remain forever." With a stoic tone, Enger said. "I have to torture that bastard before taking her away. He has to pay the price for hurting my ego in the past." Remembering the past, he looked at the scar on his leg, which reminds the humiliation.

"But still, I would recommend dropping this idea. Ample bodyguards surround Devin."

"Tch tch. That's where you are mistaking." Enger chuckled maliciously at his friend's stupidity. "At the moment, he thinks the danger is lurking around Leena alone, and he has solely shifted the entire protective guards around her. Enger continued. "I am only seizing the opportunity." Enger's whole secret lies in confusing the enemy so that they can't fathom his real intent. The cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of a lion.

"Prepare the team. Choose them wisely.." Enger said before strolling out of the room.