Henry's Secret

Except for the old man, there were more than ten other men in the room. All these men, including the old man, were members of Eric's gang. The old man, known as Father Michael, was the pastor of the church that Eric built. He was also one of the oldest members of Eric's gang, having joined Eric when he first ventured into illegal business. Eric chose him as the pastor because Michael fit the aesthetic of a pastor better than anyone else in the gang. 

The other members in the room were also long-time members of Eric's gang, having been with him for more than ten years. A striking characteristic of these individuals was their diversity. They came from different races—some had facial features resembling Asians, such as Chinese, Koreans, and Indians; others were purely white; and some, like Eric, were black. Despite their racial differences, they shared a common demeanor—excluding Father Michael, they all looked intimidating and dangerous at a glance. 

Seeing Eric enter, Father Michael stood up from his chair and greeted him, followed by the others who also acknowledged Eric's presence. Eric's arrival brought a palpable tension to the room, and everyone waited for his next move. 

Eric addressed Father Michael calmly, "How is it? Did he agree to the deal?" 

Father Michael replied, "No, he is still as stubborn as before. After you left, I tried many ways to make him understand that what we are offering is the best choice for him, but he is hellbent on not hearing any of it." 

Eric's expression darkened as he looked at the bound man. In response to Father Michael's words, he said coldly, "Well, you can't change a stupid person's fate. God has given him a way out, but he is determined not to cherish it." 

Eric then walked closer to the bound man, grabbing his hair and jerking it backward so that the man's face was forced to look up at him. "My patience is limited, Mr. Rick, and I don't have time to waste. Are you going to agree to my offer, or should I push it and use force?" 

Rick, the bound man, looked into Eric's eyes without fear and replied, "Do as you like, but I will never agree to your offer. And don't think you can get away with this. I knew something like this could happen, so I told my sister that if I disappear for any reason, she must file a police complaint. I'm sure the police will come soon and find us, and then you'll face the consequences of your actions." 

Eric laughed loudly at Rick's words, a disdainful smile playing on his lips. "Consequences? You're talking to me about consequences? Look around. I have your family. In the adjacent room, I have also kidnapped some of your followers and their families. If you do not agree to my offer, I can assure you that none of you will leave this place alive. And as for thinking the police will help you, that is just a dream. Even if they wanted to help, they would never find this place. Besides, the police work for us. So I advise you to think about the real consequences of your stubbornness." 

Rick said nothing, his cold gaze fixed on Eric. The tension in the room was palpable, the silence heavy with unspoken threats. 

Eric's eyes narrowed as he observed Rick's defiance. He turned to Father Michael and nodded slightly. Father Michael stepped forward, speaking softly yet firmly, "Rick, think of your family. Think of your daughter. This can all end peacefully if you just agree." 

Rick's resolve seemed to waver for a moment, his eyes flickering towards his family, who were trembling in fear. But then he shook his head, his voice resolute, "No. I won't betray my principles. Not for you, not for anyone." 

Eric sighed, a look of frustration crossing his face. "So be it," he muttered, turning to the burly man who stood nearby. "Begin the next phase. Make sure he understands we're serious." 

The burly man nodded and approached Rick with a menacing expression. 

Eric said to the burly man, "Only use your fists. Make sure not to hit his face or hands—he needs to appear before a camera." Then, turning to Father Michael, he added, "Come with me to the other room. Let's see what Rick's supporters think about our proposal." 

He then glanced at his subordinate, Larry, who had followed him to the underground chamber. "Larry, keep an eye on the situation. Don't let these guys go overboard with their actions." 

Larry nodded in compliance, his face serious. "Got it, boss." 

Eric said no more and went to the other room, followed by Father Michael. 

On Henry's Side: 

Henry had just finished dinner with everyone and was now lying on his bed in his room. Lucy's brother, Matthew, who was only supposed to stay for lunch, had unexpectedly decided to stay the night. This sudden change of plans required some rearrangements. Lucy and Evelyn would share a room, Matthew and his wife, Eva, would stay in Evelyn's room, and Mia would stay with Lucy's daughter, Lily. Fortunately, Lily and Mia had a close relationship and often talked on the phone, so sharing a room was no problem for them. 

During dinner, Henry learned some interesting and troubling news about Mia. Mia's boyfriend, who was also the father of her unborn child, had broken up with her, denying that he was the father. Matthew had a heated argument with Mia's boyfriend, but it ultimately resolved nothing. Mia decided to raise the child on her own. 

These messy thoughts swirled in Henry's head as he lay on his bed. Suddenly, his phone rang. He reached for it and saw that the caller was an unknown number. Henry recognized the number, and his face instantly darkened. He rejected the call, got up from his bed, and walked over to his reading table. He placed his hand underneath the table, fumbling for a second before retrieving a hidden phone. With this phone, he dialed the number that had just called him. 

As the phone rang, Henry's mind raced. The hidden phone was for calls he didn't want anyone to know about. 

After a few rings, a voice answered, "Henry, it's been a while." 

Henry's grip tightened on the phone. "What do you want? And how dear you call me on that number? I told you never to contact me again." 

The voice on the other end chuckled. "No need to be so tense. I just have some... business to discuss with you." 

Henry's jaw clenched. "I told you, I'm done with your business." 

"Ah, but life isn't done with you, my friend. You owe me, and it's time to pay up. It will be for the last time." 

Henry closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I've moved on. I'm not getting involved in any more of your schemes." 

"You don't have a choice, Henry. If you don't cooperate, your new life here might get... complicated. Besides I don't think you would like your dear father to know about your hidden plan, do you?" 

Henry felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you want me to do?" 

"Meet me tomorrow night. Same place as before. We'll discuss the details then." 

The call ended abruptly, leaving Henry staring at the phone. 

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Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the story. I apologize for missing Monday's scheduled update. To make up for it, I will release an extra chapter in addition to the one scheduled for Friday. So, after Friday, there will be another new chapter on Saturday.

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New chapters are usually released twice a week, on Friday and Monday. The next two chapter updates will be on Friday and Saturday.

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