"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Antony cursed as he quickly left the Blue Lagoon club and jumped into his limo before saying to his driver, "Take me home quick."
The driver showed a surprised look before nodding and driving the limo away from the building.
Antony poured himself a drink from the small drinks cabinet his limo had before he pulled out his phone and made a call on speaker.
"Antony, I hope you're calling me with good news regarding Emma Hopkins," Sebastian Morose's authoritative voice stated as soon as the call connected.
"Afraid not, sir," Antony replied nervously.
"How disappointing, then why are you calling?"
"I just met Adam Spencer."
Their call went silent for a few moments before Sebastian asked, "Which Adam Spencer are you referring to? As the only one I'm familiar with is no longer on Earth."
"The one you're familiar with, he's back on Earth and he wanted me to pass a message on to you and the other family heads."
"Tell me everything," Sebastian ordered.
Lady Isabella Flemming, the head of the Flemming family that ruled over the central continent, sat on an expensive couch within the living room of her mansion while holding a glass of wine in one hand and using her other to peruse some documents on the tablet that lay on her knee.
A butler entered the room holding a mobile phone before saying, "Lady Flemming, you have a call."
"At this time?" Isabella asked with a frown as she looked at the grandfather clock near the door and saw it was past ten at night.
"Indeed, madam," The butler responded professionally.
"Who is it, Winston?"
"Sebastian Morose," Winston replied.
"Hang up," Isabella replied simply before focusing back on the tablet before her.
"It's a conference call, madam," Winston replied before adding, "with the heads of all five families."
"All five?" Isabella asked in surprise before holding out her free hand.
Winston handed her the phone before bowing, after which he left.
Isabella accepted the conference call before asking, "Morose. Why are you suddenly starting a conference call with us all? Do you know how late it is here?"
"Not as late as it is here," Tomio Zhao stated in an annoyed tone before adding, "It's just gone one in the morning."
"Well, it's just gone four in the morning here," Oliver Williams stated while stifling a yawn.
"My apologies for calling you all so suddenly, but the matter is urgent." Sebastian Morose replied.
"Urgent for your family, is not necessarily urgent for the rest of us," Ayana Keita stated.
"It is when it involves Adam Spencer," Sebastian replied, causing the other four family heads to frown.
"Explain, what has your family done this time?" Isabella was the first to ask.
"Nothing," Sebastian replied in annoyance before continuing, "Antony just happened to encounter Adam Spencer and some associates of his when he went to the Blue Lagoon club to talk business with Emma Hopkins.
"Emma Hopkins?" Isabella asked with a frown before adding, "Didn't he leave the planet?"
"You actually believe that nonsense, Isabella?" Ayana Keita scoffed.
"Well, where else could he have hidden from us? Combined, our five families control Earth," Isabella replied.
"He probably just found a hole somewhere and buried his head in it," Ayana Keita replied dismissively.
"And yet he chooses now to reappear and with associates?" Tomio Zhao replied before asking Sebastian, "Who are these associates of his you mentioned and why was he at the Blue Lagoon club?"
"Antony wasn't able to identify them, which he was surprised about, because according to him, they are all women with beauty that outshines any top model or celebrity. As for the reason he was at the Blue Lagoon club, well, Emma Hopkins apparently stated that they were discussing business," Sebastian answered.
"Beauty that outshines top models and celebrities?" Oliver Williams asked with interest.
"Keep your dick inside your pants for once, Williams," Isabella snapped in disgust before asking, "What sort of business could he possibly have with Emma Hopkins?"
"According to the background check we performed after he vanished, the only contact Adam Spencer and Emma Hopkins had was first when he had the gall to give us that warning and second when he eliminated one of her staff members," Tomio Zhao stated.
"Wasn't she one of the informant's people before he was killed?" Ayana Keita asked.
"Apparently," Sebastian answered before sighing and saying, "He also had Antony pass on a message to all of us."
"What message?" Oliver Williams asked with a frown.
"He says he will be contacting us over the coming days," Sebastian replied.
"Did he say why?" Oliver Williams asked.
"Are you stupid, Williams? It's obviously because you have been using your authority to discredit him," Isabella snapped before saying angrily, "I told you all that we should have cleared up that mess about him killing his girlfriend, but you all had to go and ignore my suggestion and instead do the opposite."
"A bit late to complain about that now, isn't it?" Ayana Keita responded.
"Is it?" Isabella asked before adding, "I just hope he can see that it was your four families doing that and my Flemming family had nothing to do with it."
"Are you trying to throw us under the bus, Flemming?" Sebastian asked angrily.
"Your son and grandson already did that, you're just lucky he stopped with just them and didn't kill you as well," Isabella replied before smirking and saying, "Seems you failed to learn your lesson though."
As she finished speaking, she left the conference call.
"Damn," Isabella cursed as she tossed the mobile phone onto the sofa beside her before shouting, "WINSTON."
"Madam?" Winston asked as he entered the room.
"Inform all family members that they are to stop any activities that could harm Emma Hopkins or her assets," Isabella instructed.
"Madam?" Winston said again, but this time in confusion.
"You heard me," Isabella said authoritatively before adding, "also have Stacey call me personally."
"At once, madam," Winston said before leaving.
Isabella watched him go while thinking for a moment before she picked up the mobile phone again and dialled a number.
After the call connected, she didn't wait for a greeting and said, "James, the other four families are going to find themselves in difficulty in the coming days. Gather our top people and formulate a strategy on how best we can take advantage of that."
It was later that night and Adam and the girls were sitting in the shuttle, which was hovering in stealth above Emma Hopkins ' residence.
After Antony Morose had left, the group had talked with Emma a little more and laughed at Antony's response to finding out that Adam was in the room before they decided to return to the shuttle so that they could tail Emma as she drove home.
As expected, Emma made it home safely and now they were waiting for something to happen.
"Stake-outs are boring," Tephe complained before saying, "Check."
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Damn straight.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): What do you know about stake-outs?]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Well, I wasn't always in my current line of work; I had to learn about firearms somewhere.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Military?]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Yup.]
"You're the one who was super excited about doing one. I raise twenty," Stacey stated with a smile.
"I'm not surprised she got bored with it quickly. The actors in that movie always complained about how dull it was," Rowena replied before adding, "Too rich for my blood."
"Don't you mean Adam's blood?" Lorelie asked with a smirk before adding, "I fold."
"I see your twenty, and raise you fifty," Eri said simply.
"Fifty?" Adam asked in surprise before saying with a sigh, "Fold."
"I also fold," Aphrodite remarked.
"Same," Tephe added.
Stacey stared at Eri carefully before sighing and saying, "Fold."
"Hehe," Eri giggled as she collected all the chips that had been in the pot.
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): She totally bluffed them. Kekeke.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Totally, she had like what, jack high?]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): Whereas Stacey had three of a kind.]
[Superhearofangirl (Earth): Eri has a great poker face.]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): What an interesting card game.]
"How are you so good at this game?" Stacey asked with a pout.
"Beginners' luck," Eri replied simply.
"Are you sure that's all it is?" Adam asked suspiciously.
"It's not like I can cheat when your AI is making sure we don't through the holocams," Eri replied.
"Fair point, "Adam admitted before collecting the cards and putting them back in the deck, which he began to shuffle.
"So this poker is a major game here on Earth?" Aphrodite asked curiously.
"There are apparently major tournaments held at some of the biggest casinos around the world for huge prize pools, so I would say so," Adam replied.
"So errr, babe, we need to talk," Stacey suddenly said in a shy tone that was very unlike her and caused all of them to look at her.
As they did, they found that she was fidgeting with the ring Adam had given her while avoiding making eye contact with any of them.
"Everything ok?" Adam asked with concern.
"I… um, I think… I think I might be pregnant."