Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring

Chapter 127

Annie tightened the straps of her bag, ensuring her disguise was flawless. She had opted for a very pink wig and a mask that blocked the features of her face completely. The risk of being caught on airport surveillance was too high, and she wasn't about to let a single misstep ruin her plan. Her heart thumped with adrenaline as she walked out of the airport, her head down, blending perfectly into the hustle and bustle around her.

She hailed a taxi outside and gave the address of some condemned warehouse at the outskirt of the city. The others were already there, of course; they had arrived before her. The preparations had been meticulous, every detail planned.

All that was left was her presence to give the final command. As the taxi whizzed through the city streets, Annie's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, reassuring herself that no one was following her.

What she did not know was that the sleek, blue luxury car a few paces behind was Emma's. Inside, Emma sat in the back seat, her eyes fixed on the stack of documents in her lap. Her personal assistant had handed her the files as soon as she landed, and she wasted no time getting down to work she had neglected while she was away.

Emma, unaware of who was in the taxi ahead, glanced out the window briefly, her thoughts drifting. She had been back in the city for less than thirty minutes and already the weight of responsibilities felt overwhelming.

After a few minutes, Emma's car pulled in front of Diana house, a gigantic tower overlooking the city. The building meant so much to Emma. She blinked back the tears threatening to spill as she stepped out of the car, her head held high, exuding the grace and authority of a queen returning to her domain.

Inside, hundreds of workers ceased work, their heads bowed in respect as Emma walked past them. She gave them a slight nod, her heels clicking on the marble floors as she headed to her private office. She had been away for too long, and the mountain of work that was piled up for her required her undivided attention.

in her chair, her eyes scanning through the first file of the pile. She hurriedly

setup of the seminar scheduled at 2 PM had been completed, thus allowing her just the

Around her, towering men with grizzled faces and scars that told

of fear. Here, she was the one calling the shots, and they knew better than to cross her. Annie had promised them a hefty sum, enough to make even the most hardened criminal salivate. But she had also made it

the room, Annie pulled a folded piece of paper and two photographs from her bag with deliberate, precise movements as if each second wasted was an insult to her fury. She handed those over to the gang's leader, some hulking man

paper. "I want you to bring me these two people or at least one of them. This man." She laid her finger on the first picture, the owner of the playhouse. "Or this guy." Her

glanced at the photos, his face

a small team

stepped back, folding her arms tightly across her chest as she watched them disperse. She was calm on the outside, but inside, a whirlwind of impatience and rage stirred in her. She moved to a chair near the center of

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it cockily.

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armrest of the chair while her mind was racing. The faces in those photos were everything that she despised at that moment. She had worked too hard, sacrificed